Irish agents hopeful of end to Aer Lingus pilots dispute as pay deal tabled
Ilaria Grasso MacolaAgents in Ireland are breathing a sigh of relief after the union representing Aer Lingus pilots recommended they accept a near 20% pay rise – one poised to end weeks of damaging industrial action, which has seen upwards of 550 flights cancelled.
Clare Dunne, chief executive of the Irish Travel Agents’ Association (ITAA), hailed the agreement "a very positive development for intending travellers and the tourism sector".
"The ITAA has consistently stated compromise and engagement between Ialpa [the Irish Airline Pilots Association] and Aer Lingus was the way only forward and best for every stakeholder involved, most importantly the customer," she said. "We look forward to a positive outcome."
Ialpa has recommended its Aer Lingus pilot members accept the 17.75% pay rise on the table, which applies over a four-year period backdated to 1 January 2023 through to the end of December 2026.
“The achievement was secured by the determination and unity shown by our members,” Ialpa president Captain Mark Tighe told Irish broadcaster RTE.
“In addition to this, we achieved a return to the 2019 pay scale, which means new staff will increase their pay by an additional 10%. That means the lowest paid pilots will enjoy salary increases of almost 30%.”
Ialpa’s Aer Lingus members will vote on the proposal over 18-23 July. If the ballot is successful, it will end what will by then be nearly a month of industrial action.
The long-running dispute between Ialpa and Aer Lingus saw pilots embark on an "indefinite" period of industrial action in the form of a strict work-to-rule policy, meaning pilots would not work overtime.
This has led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights to and from Ireland. Regional services between the UK and Ireland, operated by Emerald Airlines, are unaffected, as are Aer Lingus’s transatlantic flights to and from Manchester.
The union has suspended its work-to-rule policy while members are balloted on the new pay deal.
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