IRISH holidaymakers hoping to jet off with Aer Lingus could face further flight cancellations due to the ongoing pay dispute. Some 80,000 passengers have already been impacted by cancellations that have hit the strike-embattled airline . Aer Lingus , who have axed almost 500 flights so far, said they made the decision to cancel some flights order to protect "as many services as possible" from being impacted.
Yesterday, in a move that seriously increased the likelihood of a resolution to the ongoing pay dispute , Aer Lingus accepted a Labour Court recommendation to increase pilots’ pay by 17.75 per cent. The recommendation of the Labour Court must now also be considered by the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association.
If the pay rise is accepted accepted by both parties, it will end the dispute that has now impacted over 80,000 passengers . However, IALPA president, Captain Mark Tighe has confirmed that an indefinite work-to-rule, which has been in place since June 26, will remain in place as members vote on the recommendation. This could potentially see more flights cancelled as Aer Lingus struggle to cope with the impact of the strike .
The IALPA has said it will convene a meeting of its executive in the next 24 hours to consider the Labour Court’s recommendation. If agreed, the pay deal would cover a four-year period from January 1 2023 to the end of 2026. IALPA officers and representatives from the Forsa trade union said they were considering the non-binding recommendations.