Aer Lingus strike end hopes rise as airline accepts Labour Court pay row recommendation after hundreds of flights pulled

AER Lingus has accepted a Labour Court recommendation to increase pilots’ pay by 17.75 per cent amid a dispute which has seen the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

The move is a major boost for holidaymakers as it seriously increases the likelihood of a resolution to the ongoing pay dispute.

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The recommendation of the Labour Court must now also be considered by the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa).

It recommended a 17.75 per cent pay rise, which, if accepted by both parties will end the dispute that has now impacted over 80,000 passengers.

In a statement, Aer Lingus said it would have to consider “the longer-term implications of implementing the recommendation”.

It also said the industrial relations dispute has been “enormously damaging both financially and reputationally”.

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It added: “Aer Lingus encourages Forsa/Ialpa and pilots to accept the recommendation of the Labour Court and end their industrial action.

“We would like to thank the Labour Court for its work in issuing both its interim and final recommendations.”

The proposal follows meetings at the Labour Court involving representatives from Aer Lingus and Ialpa.

If agreed, the pay deal would cover a four-year period from January 1 2023 to the end of 2026.

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Ialpa officers and representatives from the Forsa trade union said they were considering the non-binding recommendations on Monday.

The pilots had initially been seeking a pay increase of 24 per cent, which they say equates to inflation since the last pay rise in 2019.

However, Ialpa later said that it would be willing to consider a lower pay increase.

President of Ialpa Captain Mark Tighe said the executive of the union will now consider the Labour Court decision before issuing a recommendation to members on whether to accept or reject the proposals.

He said: "I'm not going to comment on the details of the recommendation, other to confirm that we have it and now the executive has to consider it.

"There are a number of our members who are actually flying today and haven't even seen it yet so we would hope to have a full executive meeting by tomorrow afternoon.

"In the meantime, there are a couple of items in it that we need to confirm our understanding of."

Decision to come

"This is perfectly normal, any time a document is published, the company may well be doing something similar themselves.

"Once we have confirmation of our understanding, the executive will then be able to make a decision as to whether to recommend acceptance or rejection.

Aer Lingus has cancelled hundreds of flights during the pilots’ indefinite work-to-rule, which began at the end of June, in an effort to protect services from the “highly disruptive” industrial action.

The Irish Travel Agents Association urged pilots to accept the terms of the recommendation.

Clare Dunne, chief executive of the ITAA, said: “Disputes all end sooner or later – it is within their power to end it now.”

FLIGHTS CANCELLED JULY 8

• Cork to London Heathrow EI0724 8:30pm
• Dublin to Amsterdam EI0602 6:15am
• Dublin to Berlin Brandenburg EI0332 6:40am
• Dublin to Birmingham EI0276 7:20pm
• Dublin to Brussels EI0638 5:55pm
• Dublin to Frankfurt EI0656 4:45pm
• Dublin to London Heathrow EI0162 11:15am
• Dublin to London Heathrow EI0182 7pm
• Dublin to Manchester EI0208 12:50pm
• Dublin to Munich 7:10am
• Dublin to New York JFK EI0105 11:05am
• Dublin to Paris Paris EI0526 1pm
• Dublin to Zurich EI0348 4:55pm

FLIGHTS CANCELLED JULY 10

• Cork to London/Heathrow EI0724 8:30pm
• Dublin to Amsterdam EI0602 6:15am
• Dublin to Berlin/Brandenburg EI0332 6:40am
• Dublin to Birmingham EI0276 7:20pm
• Dublin to Brussels EI0638 5:55pm
• Dublin to Dusseldorf EI0698 5:30pm
• Dublin to Frankfurt EI0656 4:45pm
• Dublin to London/Heathrow EI0162 11:15am
• Dublin to London/Heathrow EI0182 7pm
• Dublin to Manchester EI0208 12:50pm
• Dublin to Munich EI0352 7:10am
• Dublin to New York EI0105 11:05am
• Dublin to Paris EI0526 1pm

FLIGHTS CANCELLED JULY 12

• Cork to London/Heathrow EI0724 8:30pm
• Dublin to Berlin/Brandenburg EI0332 06:40am
• Dublin to Brussels EI0638 5:55pm
• Dublin to Dusseldorf EI0698 5:30pm
• Dublin Frankfurt EI0656 4:45pm
• Dublin to London/Heathrow EI0162 11:15am
• Dublin to London/Heathrow EI0182 7:00pm
• Dublin to Manchester EI0208 12:50pm
• Dublin Munich EI0352 07:10am
• Dublin to New York (JFK) EI0107 4:45pm
• Dublin to Paris (CDG) EI0526 1:00pm

FLIGHTS CANCELLED JULY 14

• Cork to London/Heathrow EI0724 8:30pm
• Dublin to Berlin/Brandenburg EI0332 6:40am
• Dublin to Brussels EI0638 5:55pm
• Dublin to Dusseldorf EI0698 5:30pm
• Dublin to Frankfurt EI0656 4:45pm
• Dublin to Geneva EI0680 6:15am
• Dublin to London/Heathrow EI0162 11:15am
• Dublin to London/Heathrow EI0182 7:00pm
• Dublin to Lyon EI0552 12:55pm
• Dublin to Munich EI0352 7:10am
• Dublin to New York (JFK) 4:45pm
• Dublin to Paris (CDG) EI0526 1:00pm