Aer Lingus: ‘Publicly ignored’ as flights canceled during strike – BBC News

Updated 3 hours ago

The tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) has described the Aer Lingus pay dispute as “shocking”, adding that the needs of the Irish traveling public were being ignored by both sides.

Thousands of passengers face uncertainty in the coming week as pilots begin industrial action in a pay dispute.

At least 244 Aer Lingus flights have now been cancelled.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that Micheál Martin has called on the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (IALPA) and Aer Lingus management to “come to the table” on an existing interim recommendation from the Irish Labor Court.

Speaking in Luxembourg, where he is attending a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Mr Martin said: “I think it is shocking to what extent the needs of those who travel are, in my opinion, ignored in the context of this dispute.

“There is only one way to solve this: through negotiations and by coming to the table.”

He added that the “most effective way” to end the dispute would be to use the “industrial relations machinery at our disposal”.

Mr Martin said the Labor Court had made a recommendation to “form the basis for negotiations”.

‘I would like to call on both parties to sit down around the table and think of the many thousands of families and workers across the country.

“This is the only time of the year they get the chance to travel for their holidays. They have been planning and saving for this.”

IALPA president Captain Mark Tighe said pilots had been forced to “escalate” the dispute due to “antagonism from Aer Lingus management”.

“Instead of meeting with IALPA for direct negotiations to resolve this dispute, the airline is sending letters to IALPA threatening to lower its members’ terms and conditions by unilaterally terminating collective agreements.

“Aer Lingus’ legal representatives have also this week written to each member of the IALPA Executive Committee, in their personal capacity, threatening to initiate proceedings in the High Court over alleged unlawful conduct relating to an alleged increase in number of pilots due to illness.”

The IALPA added that “no attempt has been made to negotiate a settlement.”

“The scale of next week’s expected flight cancellations, as detailed by Aer Lingus, illustrates the extent to which the company is dependent on the flexibility and goodwill of pilots,” said Captain Tighe.

“As always, IALPA remains open to engaging with Aer Lingus in direct negotiations to resolve this dispute in a manner that addresses pilot pay fairly.”

However, in a statement, the airline said Aer Lingus was “available for meaningful direct discussions with IALPA” but that the pilots’ association “has so far declined to engage in those meaningful discussions and that it concluded the latest direct discussions with the company on Monday ended. June 17”.

They said that Aer Lingus wrote to IALPA on Sunday, June 23, requesting discussions and also asking the association to “reengage with the state industrial relations apparatus (the Labor Court and the Industrial Relations Commission), but on this point they have rejected this request”.

Aer Lingus regional flights, operated by Emerald Airlines, between Belfast and Great Britain are unaffected by IALPA’s industrial action and will continue to operate as planned.

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

Contact should be made via email or text, 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 it rebooks to 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 cannot assist directly in these cases,” Aer Lingus outlines on its website.