Irish agents renew plea for resolution as Aer Lingus pilots agree to fresh talks
James ChappleTalks to resolve a pay dispute between Aer Lingus and its pilots aiming to end a period of "indefinite" industrial action that got under way this week will resume on Thursday (27 June) to the relief of agents throughout the republic.
After several failed attempts in Dublin’s labour court to get Aer Lingus and the Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa) back round the table, Ialpa has reportedly accepted a fresh invitation.
The action is currently taking the form of a strict work-to-rule policy, which means Ialpa’s Aer Lingus members won’t work overtime or beyond their contracted hours, or agree to rostering changes.
They will also walk out for eight hours from 5am to 1pm on Saturday, which has forced Aer Lingus to pre-emptively cancel more than 100 flights.
Over the course of the first seven days of the action from 26 June to 2 July, Aer Lingus has so far cancelled around 270 flights in total across its UK, Irish, European and North American networks.
During the summer season, Aer Lingus typically carries around 44,000 passengers a day. It expects to cancel between 10% and 20% of its schedule during the action.
Only Aer Lingus pilots employed in Ireland are involved in the dispute. "All Aer Lingus Regional flights (operated by Emerald Airlines) and Aer Lingus UK transatlantic flights to and from Manchester will operate as scheduled," the airline has stressed.
The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has welcomed the news of fresh discussions and urged both parties to "approach the talks in a respectful, sensible manner" and to "put the customer as the centre of the agenda".
ITAA chief executive Clare Dunne said: "ITAA members have been working hard on behalf of their customers to minimise the disruption to them and to rebook them and get them away on their holidays.
"The good news is that ITAA travel agents around the country have reported that they have now managed to rebook / reroute or arrange refunds for the majority of their customers who have been impacted by cancellations."
However, she added: "Disputes all end sooner or later – it is within their power to make it sooner."
Ialpa served notice of its planned action on Aer Lingus last week after two successful votes in favour of action up to and including full strikes.
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