Kids are also being let down by waiting lists in hospitals. Looking forward to hearing Simon saying this

In another dispute any minister or taoiseach would say they can’t comment as they can’t interfere in industrial relations process or dispute

Fine Gael, typically anti worker

Who exactly is using the children as pawns? I haven’t heard either Aer Lingus or the unions mention it?

Yes, they should only strike between 1am and 2am, so it has as little affect as possible, that’s the way to have your demands met. Bit like why nurses are vastly underpaid, the odd time they do try to fight for what they should be paid they still make sure everybody is looked after so they get naff all.

I support the pilots. Not sure what gives Simon the impression that he can decide for the nation how they feel about this. Mental health services for children are non existent. The children that Simon promised would have surgery for scoliosis are still waiting. Children are being let down by this government and it’s a very cheap shot from Simon to use them as pawns on this issue.

He is not too worried about the children he promised an operation to for scoliosis within four months in 2017and they are still waiting for it. Many of them are much worse now and have gone downhill since.

Has anyone ever wondered why politicians never go on strike? Think about that for a minute and then decide if they should be allowed criticise others for fighting for their conditions. Pilots are well paid but if they didn’t fight for it they’d end up like nurses, underpaid. I do however think that people should stop clapping when they land the plane, that’s what we do for nurses instead of paying them more, it’s not fair that pilots get more pay and claps.

Children in this country are let down by your Government everyday Taoiseach. But sure blame the pilots, absolutely laughable. Get your own house in order.

No surprise here from Fine Gael – completely anti worker and against collective bargaining.
Aer Lingus pilots have gone through the negotiations for 2 years so it’s clear where the fault lies here. Looking for pay to match inflation is something every worker deserves, especially as we’ve seen that corporate greed is a massive factor in inflation

Leave the kids out of a dispute workers action, just like your Government left them out for scoliosis surgery, Disgusted at you!

Children’l from 20 years ago have been let down by Simon and his buddies. Have all emigrated and left this country cause can’t afford to live. And they are still doing it today to today’s children

Travellers or not we are all pawns in the daily grind that our elites have planned for us.

It’s a disgrace from the greedy pilots

Fair play to him. Speaking a bit of sense irrespective if your party position.

Has Simon Harris now taken over from Ryan Tubridy as the patron saint of children?

Hi. Is it possible to do a fact check on the Air Lingus pilots claim that inflation has gone up by 24.8% since 2019 and that’s why they’re looking for such an enormous increase in their pay.

Lots of people here trying to distract from the point. A pilots job not much more difficult than a person driving articulated truck and some already earning well over 200 K a year . Tell me ..a pensioner..how that kind of wage deserves a 25% wage increase. Blackmail . Nothing less

I do enjoy how gangster he looks. Sort like De Niro

The Taoiseach is a jackeen disgrace!
Whinging about something that never happened – “using children as pawns”. Such absolute hysterics! Next he’ll be claiming that all employees in a Trade Union are using Trade Unions “as human shields” fer gawwd sake!

It is also an absolute disgrace that Aer Lingus was ever let go from National and indigenous ownership. New owners have done nothing but defame, from the very start, the Irish people, the Irish Nation, the Irish culture and more importantly the established **class** of a prestigious, high-end, and proud Irish brand that always engaged respectfully with worker’s unions and *loyal*, consistently hardworking, employees – as is our [dissident, worker-centric and pro-TU] culture.

There should have been caveats written into that sales contract prohibiting them from engaging in behaviours, activities or policies that are anti-Trade Union and (therefore) defamatory of or to the Irish people, and/or the Irish Nation.
Their carry on is a disgrace!
And more importantly, their carry on is indicative of a corporate culture mentality of pro-colonialist WASP supremacy. They have essentially placed British pilots in ethnic superiority to indigenous Irish pilots, they have platformed and condoned pro-colonialist supremacy and relegated Irish pilots to an inferior employee position and designation via pay disparity.

Basically, British owners have practiced and endorsed a policy of ethnic supremacy through pay apartheid.
Denigrating Irish as “less than”. “Less worthy” of pay parity.

While the actually inferiorly educated British, and their post-Brexit, “can’t reverse”, inferiorly licenced, HGV truck drivers are mowing down Irish cyclists and pedestrians the length and breadth of Ireland!!

That said, these pilots should be Striking over being forced to still fly lethal Boeing planes, fer jaysus sakes lads!!
Or at least incorporating the phasing-out of Boeing useage, as part of their demands (such as: “we’ll drop to 21% if all planes are swopped to Airbus before Christmas, and if Aer Lingus provides alternative guaranteed and recession-safe perks. Like a company gym and pool or free local gym membership, subsidised pet insurance, or free company-funded human health insurance for whole family. Or company housing and/or subsidised housing or, better yet, a company Credit Union that can back&support mortgages for all employees”).
Where are the European and International Regulators on serious Boeing problems? EASA, IAA etc?
Obviously the American’s can’t be trusted.
Obviously the yankee FAA can’t be trusted.
American consumers have been switching their flights to Airbus flights…..FOR MONTHS NOW!!
How many investigative journalistic reports, and documentaries, do Irish (EU+Australia/NZ) pilots actually need before they start *refusing* to fly ALL Boeings?

From European National Broadcasters to Netflix to Al Jazeera – I have personally gone from cautious confidence (reliant upon engineering to the letter of the law, and absolute transparency with safety obligation) in the 20th Century feat of engineering to bypassing any development of a ‘fear of flying’ phobia, directly to: “Nope. Ferry.”
(…and I’ll take yer horse with me, for a few bars of Kerrygold! ;-P )

Why has nobody asked the question though – how have half the country not already shifted their holiday plan to Ferry (France/Spain) and Trains over flying (any airline) with Boeing?

I support all workers who are in a Trade Union.
There is nothing in this life more righteous.
And who are exercising their Rights through their Trade Union.
But to really get me to rally behind these pilots – striking at the very last minute in the thick of sunmer season – they had better be striking the match of an International Pilot Boycott of Boeing.

[side note: it is the nurses, junior doctors, and later also Consultants, who should be implementing intensive "Work-To-Rule" actions during the non-flu season. Let's see how far that gets the HSE's supposedly "fully staffed hospitals"!]

Your a pathetic minister using emotional language like that. Stop your condensing rubbish and call an election. You should keep out of issues you know nothing about.

To the pilots on the forum and there be many, three questions already posed multiple times without reply. Let’s see if we can do better this morning.

Do you guys use the free parking at Dublin airport for personal trips, holidays abroad and the like?

If a pilot prefers to use public transport to travel to the airport can they allow a third party to avail of it?

Do any pilots earn a 2nd income in this way ?