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THE IRISH AIR LINE Pilots’ Association (IALPA) is considering further strike action in its pay dispute with Aer Lingus.
It comes after fresh talks aimed at resolving the ongoing dispute between the airline and the pilots’ union taking part in industrial action broke down today.
IALPA pilots are already set to strike from 5am to 1pm this coming Saturday.
In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson for the union said: “The IALPA executive is considering a further work stoppage due to the companies clear escalation today by informing IALPA that it will unilaterally terminate the standing collective agreements, should IALPA not agree to amend them.
“This type of escalation is extremely unhelpful and disappointing at the is point in time when IALPA moved from its position with an aim to reach an agreement.”
In a statement, Aer Lingus said it noted the intention of IALPA to consider further strike action and to request Forsa’s approval of such action.
“Aer Lingus believes that this would be entirely inappropriate given the request of the Labour Court this week that the dispute should not be escalated,” the statement read.
At around 9.30am this morning, officials from IALPA and the airline arrived at a hotel for talks in an attempt to bring an end to the stand-off.
Around an hour later, IALPA president Mark Tighe emerged to say both sides had agreed to allow a smaller negotiating team to try and progress talks.
Discussions between IALPA and Aer Lingus then continued with a team of three on each side.
However, Tighe this afternoon said that “at this point, talks have broken down”.
“We are allowed a smaller group – both sides did – to meet to see if they could come to some sort (of agreement),” said Tighe.
“IALPA officially moved from its inflationary figure of 23.88%.
“The company has not moved from its statement that anything more than 12.25% would have to be funded by pilots’ own payments through work practice.”
Aer Lingus chief corporate affairs officer Donal Moriarty said that the airline “engaged constructively” in discussions with IALPA and Forsa.
“We tried to discuss items that could actually resolve this dispute, in particular we tried to discuss productivity, flexibility and the modernisation of our collective agreement,” Moriarty said.
“Unfortunately IALPA was unable to enter into discussions on those items. In fact, it informed that it had no mandate to do so.
“We advised IALPA and encouraged them to revisit that mandate in order to put within their power the normal aspect of pay negotiations.”
An Aer Lingus spoksperson said that ahead of all-out strike action over an eight-hour period on Saturday, “it would seem that this would be an opportune time for IALPA to meet pilots to adjust IALPA’s mandate so that it is capable of engaging in meaningful negotiations that can resolve this dispute”.
IALPA began an indefinite work-to-rule yesterday and will also take part in an all-out strike over an eight-hour period on Saturday.
Aer Lingus has cancelled 270 flights so far, though the airline warned earlier this week that passengers may only be informed of flight cancellations at the departure gate.
No delays were reported at Dublin Airport yesterday on the first day of industrial action and an Aer Lingus employee told The Journal that no passengers have arrived so far for cancelled flights.
In a statement, IALPA said it has been in negotiations for a 22-month period and that it hopes resolution can be achieved.
IALPA is seeking a pay increase of 23.8% over three years, which it says is “clearly reasonable and affordable for a profitable company such as Aer Lingus.”
The union 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.
President of IALPA Mark Tighe yesterday said members “do not want to be in this situation” but are here as a result of “corporate greed” on behalf of Aer Lingus.
Aer Lingus is a part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), which includes British Airways, and Tighe yesterday told RTÉ that IAG has already offered a 24% pay increase to British Airways’ pilots.
The airline has said it is willing to offer pay increases of 12.5% or above if “improvements in productivity and flexibility” are discussed.
IALPA voted to undertake industrial action after rejecting a Labour Court recommendation of a 9.25% pay increase for pilots.
Both IALPA and Aer Lingus attended separate meetings with the Labour Court on Tuesday on the eve of the industrial action, but the Court said it would not be intervening at this time and would review the matter in July.
With additional reporting from Jane Moore and Press Association
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