Aer Lingus workers are poised to strike and more than a hundred flights have been canceled as a result, with union bosses insisting on a 24% pay rise for flight staff.
British tourists face chaos as a major airline cancels hundreds of flights to and from the UK.
Union bosses are demanding a 24% pay rise for their members to return to work just days before the start of the peak travel season. The Irish Air Line Pilot’s Association (Ialpa) has confirmed industrial action which will affect routes across the Irish Sea, with 122 Aer Lingus flights canceled between 3 July and 7 July.
A total of 122 flights were also canceled over the following seven days, with the strikes hitting Dublin Airport hard as routes to the UK were pulled from Aer Lingus’ reduced timetable.
Talks between Ialpa and Aer Lngus broke down last week before a pay settlement agreement was reached, with the union demanding a 24% pay rise in line with inflation. Officials pointed to Aer Lingus’ 400% “profit increase” as the basis for the pay rise. However, the airline insisted that the maximum it could offer was 12.25%.
Anything higher, according to Aer Lingus officials, would come from savings from changing working conditions. Head of corporate office Donal Moriarty says they have “engaged constructively” with unions but have had to cancel more than 100 flights as the dispute continues.
Chief Moriarty said: “We have tried to discuss points that could actually resolve this dispute, in particular we have tried to discuss productivity, flexibility and the modernization of our collective agreement. We have advised IALPA and encouraged them to re-examine this mandate and put It supports the normal aspect of salary negotiation.”
Aer Lingus today announced the cancellations due to ongoing strikes and offered customers free flight changes or vouchers for their future journeys, with a refund or voucher available to those affected, The Sun reported. Their statement read: “In order to continue to protect as many services as possible from the impact of the ongoing Ialpa industrial action, Aer Lingus has had to take the step of canceling 122 additional flights between Wednesday 3 July and Sunday 7 July (inclusive).
“Implementing these cancellations is to allow us to protect as much service as possible for as many of our customers as possible. These cancellations will be implemented today and details will be communicated to affected customers.”
A spokesman for Aer Lingus added: “Aer Lingus fully understands the anxiety felt by customers due to the uncertainty caused by Ialpa’s industrial action and is providing affected customers with as many options as possible.” Ialpa’s official Twitter account /X has since confirmed the strike action, saying workers deserve to “protect their purchasing power”.
Their statement read: “More than 500 IALPA Aer Lingus pilots gathered in pickets outside Dublin Airport this morning during an 8-hour strike. Aer Lingus pilots deserve to protect their purchasing power. Ialpa president Captain Mark Tighe previously said: “The company has not retracted its statement , that anything over 12.25% would have to be funded by the pilots’ own payments through work experience.”