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AER LINGUS PILOTS have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action amid an ongoing pay dispute.
Members of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) voted 98.82% in favour of taking industrial action, up to and including full withdrawal of labour. Turnout for the ballot was 89%.
IALPA members had already voted in favour of taking industrial action last week, securing 98% support.
However, Aer Lingus questioned the legitimacy of the vote, which was conducted electronically.
In-person voting was open in two polling stations – one in Dublin and one in Cork – from Friday until 11am this morning.
In a statement issued this afternoon, IALPA president Captain Mark Tighe said the result of the second ballot was “an incredible reaffirmation of our mandate for industrial action in pursuit of a meaningful pay offer”.
“It is unconscionable that an employer would attempt to undermine our members’ democratic and constitutional right to vote for industrial action,” he said.
“The effect of Aer Lingus management’s intervention last week has served only to further antagonise pilots. They are now more determined than ever. This ballot has reaffirmed the commitment of our members to stand up to management.”
He added: “IALPA is now consulting with our colleagues in Fórsa to determine our next steps.”
Noting the outcome of the ballot, a spokesperson for Aer Lingus told The Journal that any decision by IALPA to serve notice of industrial action “would be entirely unnecessary and would result in significant disruption to the airline’s customers and to other employees”.
“IALPA have rejected the outcomes of two independent processes which have sought to resolve the issue of pilot pay in Aer Lingus – the Pilot Pay Tribunal Report and the interim recommendation of the Labour Court,” the spokesperson said.
“Following these rejections by IALPA, Aer Lingus has offered to continue to engage in meaningful direct discussions with IALPA and to request the support of the Workplace Relations Commission in order to further explore solutions.
“As of now, both of these offers have been rejected by IALPA.”
Aer Lingus pilots who are members of the union are seeking a pay rise of 23.8% over three years, which would be similar to what British Airlines – a sister airline of Aer Lingus – awarded pilots in 2019.
Members have rejected a Labour Court recommendation that they should receive a pay increase agreement of 9.25% in the near term.
The IALPA said the 23.8% increase it is seeking is “clearly reasonable and affordable for a profitable company such as Aer Lingus.”
It noted that in 2023, Aer Lingus had a full year operating profit of €225 million.
This was a 400% increase on 2022, when a full year operating profit of €45 million was recorded.
Tighe said: “Our pay claim of 23.8% is to ensure that pilots’ pay has the same purchasing power as it did in 2019, and reflects the enormous increase in profits enjoyed by Aer Lingus. Last year, they reported €225 million profit – an increase of 400% on the previous year.
“Our colleagues in British Airways secured a 24% increase in 2019, while Lufthansa pilots received a 27% increase,” he said.
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Aer Lingus pilots should accept the recommendation of the Labour Court.
Greed is a terrible thing.
@Brian Corrigan: greed? They make them that profit. No pilots, no profit. And with that huge amount 2023, they should get their buying power back so their wages are worth what they used to
Precedent has been set already, their argument is fair…
@Carla B: Not sure the BA ‘precedent’ is fair or reasonable. The BA pilots deserved their 24% increase because they were getting paid much, much less than their Aer Lingus colleagues and still are, even after their increase.
@Carla B: I hope you have no flights booked with them for your holibopsies.
@Mark Moran: any evidence to back that up? What’s the top of the BA scale?
Aerlingus offers a subpar service and underpay their staff while at the same time telling everybody who’ll listen about their record profits. Pilots are dead right.
@Philip Cullen: how subpar service…I always fly with Aer lingus and wouldn’t go near the cattle mart that is Ryanair..
@Clare Power: maybe you would be surprised by Ryanair fares
@Clare Power: other airlines in the world….
@Clare Power: Fly with who suits you but there is nothing wrong with Ryanair. I choose them in preference because without them nobody could afford to go anywhere. In 1979 Aer Lingus charged £ 140 to Birmingham.
Over forty years ago…that fare is equivalent to € 1050 today. Ouch !
Errrrrm… pilots are paid thousands for their job. I’m someone who is absolutely desperate to fulfil my dreams of becoming a pilot, but there’s no support out there. I will happily take one of their jobs. If someone from Aer Lingus sees this… Aspiring pilot right here.
@Daniel Skelton: SCAB
@Daniel Skelton: Become a pilot, have your paychecks value reduced by 20% due to inflation and see how you feel then…… Management might want someone like you but your colleagues/union won’t!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: Again, pilots are paid thousands. I’m not sure if you have seen, but years ago Ryanair publicly released pictures of pilot wage slips (sensitive info was removed obviously), and I was astonished at how much pilots are paid. Inflation should be virtually miniscule to them. The only reasons I could think as to why a pilot would be skint, is either paying off their flight school training, or poor money management.
@Daniel Skelton: good lad! Keep at it! Get your first job, build hours. Massively rewarding job but don’t let the unions bully you into something you don’t believe in.
@Daniel Skelton: 20% inflation is huge to everyone, especially with our out of date taxation. I assume you’re young with no responsibilities if that’s your views, so naive!….. Why would anyone not want their salary to at least keep up with inflation?!?! Without it youre effectively taking a pay cut…. When strikes are on the cards management do their best to sway public opinion against those that are striking by any means possible, like releasing remuneration info, stalling, painting staff as greedy, saying they can’t afford it. It’s all IR games to keep salaries down as much as possible so more profit can be made. Sure they used COVID as an excuse to bring in a lower salary scale for new entrants…. Pilots are paid well for a reason.
@Éanna o Sca: Don’t let management bully you into reducing the value of your pay cheque you mean!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: https://www.newstalk.com/news/aer-lingus-pilots-pay-demands-exorbitant-untenable-and-will-not-happen-1736098. See what I mean about management playing a PR game in the linked article. Including pension contributions is ridiculous and only done to exaggerate their pay. What’s being negotiated is pay, particularly in relation to inflation…… It would be interesting if they would realise the pay raises management have enjoyed over the years.
What the article doesn’t say is that Aer lingus staff, not just pilots, but tight across the board, took massive pay cuts during the pandemic in order to ensure the viability of the airline, as far as I’m aware the pilots are asking for a restoration of pay plus an increase which I think is only fair, if they win their case, it opens the doors for all sectors of the airline and will also see ryanair staff going the same route as they also took pay cuts.
Sounds only fair, and high time they had pay restored, especially considering how prices and profits have soared recently.
They already get 3 hundred thousand a year. Tell them to eff right off.
Dental Plannnnnnnnnnnnn
@Paul A Kane: Lisa needs braces
Had booked Perpignan to Dublin, and now Girona to dublin with Ryanair. If they do nor go on strike, we lose 300€.
If they don’t like the pay move to another airline.
@Unknown Unknown: I hope to see your name spouting the same “move to another…”
on the next article about a pay raise dispute.
It’s a ridiculous thing to say in general, but if the company makes huge profits, the last raise has been -5- years ago and the recommendation is not even close to the inflation,
than they have a point.
Striiiiiike
24% sounds like a lot and is a lot but they have had no pay increases since 2019. Most office jobs in the private sector do performance related pay increases usually in line with inflation (3-5%). When you consider that their claim is not as outrageous. Still though, very happy I booked with Ryanair this year cos this is going to ruin the holidays of a lot of people
Greedy clunts
@6gRrQtLn: Please explain.
Last pay raise has been -5- years ago, the company is making huge profits.
Looking at the inflation rates over the last years, the Labour Court recommendation is way of the mark.
@Wolfgang Bonow: If you think €50000 pay rise is fair for the amount of hours that they’re allowed to fly, then we are all screwed, just cos a company is making nice profits doesn’t mean the staff can hold the company or its customers to ransom, toddle on now
Flight attendants wages should be increased first, pilots get min 90k a year, so they are looking for more than 20k a year pay rise, an extra 1k a month isnt enough for them its pure greed, and i bet it was a suggestion from the union not the pilots themselves
Company profits are irrelevant, when Aer Lingus was making losses did the pilots salaries come down. If the pilots want to link to the profits of the company they should buy shares in the company. Ryanair are looking for pilots with a work ethic, I guess none would be making the move from Aer Lingus
Absolutely sick of having industrial relations hanging over Aer Lingus bookings.You market the flights, you accept payment & confirm the booking then bloody well sort out the service. Other arrangements are made on the back of bookings. Would you hold a booking to ransom for the Irish rugby team or flying an Oscar from LA to Dublin?
I’m sure lots of people wouldn’t care less if they went to the wall, just like RTÉ, Ryanair would be the national carrier.
@Pat Barry: There is no national carrier. They were until they were sold off!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: Wrong, the definition of a national flag carrier is an airline that is or was owned by a government so it definitely still is the Irish flag carrier.
@Pat Barry: the Spanish company that owns Aer lingus it’s major share holder is the quartar royal family . Take national out of that
@Pat Barry: I stand corrected on the official term….. However I’d have Ryanair and Emerald airlines ahead of them since IAG bought Aerlingus. At least those two are headquartered in Ireland
Computer doing most of the flying is a costly business !
Out Brothers 0ut if the quartar royal family expect their pilots in Ireland to work for less than their own forget it .
By the way they are the biggest shareholders in the company that owns Aer lingus
The greedy pigs so they are
Michael O’Leary must be rubbing his hands in glee…….
It doesn’t matter a hoot what Lufthansa pilots got percentage wise. I bet they don’t have pilots on 287k before they’re last pay rise like Aer Lingus do.
Time for Aer Lingus to contract out the piloting of planes like Ryanair do and pull the rug from under these smug employees.
Greed is a terrible thing…I agree!
“Three members of the top brass at Aer Lingus – including its chief executive and chief financial officer – earned the bulk of almost €2.8m in core director remuneration paid by the airline last year.” (Ref Irish Independent 27/10/23)
complete mismanagement at the top allowing union greed ..its turning into another rte ..
Greedy a hols. Destroying peoples holidays.
Spare a thought for them if you see them in your local bowling alley
In Netherlands, KLM pilots scale from 60k to 125k. Netherlands has similar cost of living index to Ireland. Property is less affordable than Dublin.
Want a share of profits. Tip.. Buy shares like anyone else. Use your 21% pension to fund the purchase! Note you may have to share in the losses as well. Tip.. tell your union leader you won’t accept a share in any losses. Let the shareholders fund that, right?
Reckon you guys have been lead down a garden path by union chiefs who’ve failed to manage expectations. And then there’s the free parking in Dublin airport. Oh dear, oh dear. Pity none of your union chiefs spotted that howler. Am I allowed to wonder if you guys can earn an extra crust off that when you’re not in the air… hmmmmm….l do wonder.
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