Pilots begin industrial action over pay dispute

Aer Lingus pilots have launched industrial action in an ongoing dispute with the airline over pay.

Members of the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA) began an indefinite strike at midnight on Wednesday.

An eight-hour strike from 05:00 – 13:00 BST is planned for Saturday.

Separated meetings on Tuesday at the Employment Tribunal in Dublin involving IALPA and Aer Lingus did not reach a settlement.

The airline said it is disappointed the Labor Court did not intervene in the dispute, but will instead hear the case in July.

“Aer Lingus will continue to focus on minimizing disruption to customers caused by IALPA industrial action,” it said in a statement.

The airline said it “has made it clear that it remains available for discussions both directly and through the state’s industrial relations framework”.

The total number of flights canceled as a result of industrial action, Aer Lingus said, has now risen to 270.

All Aer Lingus regional flights, operated by Emerald Airlines, and Aer Lingus UK transatlantic flights to and from Manchester will operate as scheduled.

He called on IALPA to “consider the damage its ongoing industrial action is causing to passengers, the company and the Irish economy”.

A full list of canceled flights up to and including July 2 can be found on the airline’s website.

He said: “The nature of this industrial action may lead to further cancellations and delays and we will be communicating directly with affected customers as soon as possible.”

Igiehon Elite Academy, a basketball team in Wexford will head to Newark, New Jersey on Wednesday for a basketball tournament and training academy.

Team member Daniel Walsh said: “We had heard about the attacks so we came an hour early.

“There are about 50 of us going to an academy and we’re all on the same flight.

“We checked with the airline, our coach contacted our flight agent and checked as well. Our flight was not canceled, but we still had a reservation on United Airlines.”

The team is coming back from New Jersey with Aer Lingus too, but I don’t know what will happen.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Daniel said.

Ronan Sheridan from Cavan dropped his sister off at Dublin Airport after she changed her flight.

“My sister is going to New York and at the last minute we had to change our flight on American Airlines.

“She had advance warning, so I think she was very well organised. She had to look for alternatives herself, because she had to go today. Today was the day she would go. It could not be changed.

“Lucky. It worked, reasonably well.”

Dublin Airport’s Terminal Two was bustling this morning – not unexpected for late June.

Aer Lingus bag drop was crowded but moved quickly as plenty of staff were on hand to assist customers carrying large suitcases.

Work to fix began at midnight, and this is a prelude to a full strike on Saturday.

The pay battle between the pilots and the airline looks set to continue.

Aer Lingus is one of the main carriers taking passengers to the US from Dublin, so many of those at the airport were headed for transatlantic routes.

Many booked alternate days or airlines to reach their destination relatively on time.

Most people who spoke to the BBC said that although there had been some disruption, they had managed to find an alternative flight.

Speaking to BBC News NI on Tuesday, IALPA president Captain Mark Tighe said the job was now in place because Aer Lingus management “have refused to see the reasonableness of our inflationary cumulative pay demand”.

IALPA is demanding a 24% pay rise.

Captain Tighe said an “acceptable offer” would see the end of industrial action.

He added: “The company has refused point blank to see their wisdom and sense in keeping their staff wages in line with inflation.

“We are not looking to increase our salary, we are looking to maintain our income,” he added.

“It is not unreasonable for staff to want to protect their pay.”

He said the job of ruling involves “some added industrial elements”.

“Basically the pilots who have always been very flexible to make sure planes get home in delay situations and come in on days off – some pilots did, most not because of work life balance – but with this retreat, the flexibility is gone. “.

Captain Tighe said people should be aware that it is only a small number of pilots who give up days off to work.

“For the company to come back and say they’re canceling up to 20% of their flights because of this means they’re so short of pilots that they have a problem they’re not willing to address,” he said.

On Tuesday, senior political figures in the Republic of Ireland called for a resolution.

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Simon Harris had called on Aer Lingus and IALPA to “engage intensively” with the Labor Court to avoid “utter chaos” for air passengers.

He urged both sides to “dig deep”, calling for “compromise, engagement and sitting around a table”.

Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Micheál Martin meanwhile said there was “an urgent need” to find a solution.

The public, he added, was being ignored by both sides in the dispute.

“It is shocking that they are being ignored and willfully, if you like, sidelined in this battle between Aer Lingus management and the unions,” Mr Martin said.

The airline has said passengers with flights booked between June 26 and July 2 have a number of options available.

Everyone should be contacted by email or SMS, or through their travel agent.

For customers who have booked directly with Aer Lingus, there is the option to change flights online.

The company said it will waive the fare difference and any change fees if you book for a later date.

There is also the option to request a full refund or a refund voucher, which can be redeemed within five years.

Aer Lingus said passengers who booked through a travel agent or third party should contact those companies directly.

“Unfortunately, Aer Lingus is unable to assist directly in these cases,” Aer Lingus describes on its website.