Aer Lingus: ‘Public was ignored’ as flights were cancelled during strike – BBC News

Updated 3 hours ago

The Tánaiste (Ireland’s deputy prime minister) described the fare dispute at Aer Lingus as “shocking”, adding that the needs of Irish travellers were being ignored by both sides.

Thousands of passengers face uncertain challenges over the next week as pilots begin industrial action amid a dispute over their salaries.

At least 244 Aer Lingus flights have now been cancelled.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that Micheál Martin had called on the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (IALPA) and Aer Lingus management to sit down at the negotiating table on the basis of an existing preliminary recommendation from the Irish Labour Court.

Speaking in Luxembourg, where he is attending a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Martin said: “I find it shocking the extent to which I believe the needs of travellers are being ignored in the context of this conflict.”

“There is only one way to solve this problem: through negotiations and by sitting down at the negotiating table.”

He added that the conflict could be ended “most effectively” by using the “industrial relations mechanisms at our disposal.

Mr Martin said the Labour Court had issued a recommendation that should “form a basis for negotiations”.

“I would like to appeal to both sides to sit down at the table and think of the many thousands of families and workers across the country.

“This is the only time of the year when they have the opportunity to go on vacation. They have planned and saved for it.”

Captain Mark Tighe, president of IALPA, said the pilots were forced to “escalate” the conflict due to “hostility from Aer Lingus management”.

“Instead of meeting with IALPA and seeking a solution to the dispute through direct negotiations, the airline is sending letters to IALPA threatening to reduce the working conditions of its members by unilaterally terminating collective agreements.

“Aer Lingus’ legal representatives have also this week written in their personal capacity to each member of the IALPA Executive Committee threatening to bring an action in the Supreme Court for alleged unlawful conduct relating to an alleged increase in pilot sickness absence.”

IALPA added that there had been “no efforts to negotiate a settlement.”

“The scale of the flight cancellations expected for next week, as described by Aer Lingus, shows the extent to which the company relies on the flexibility and goodwill of its pilots,” said Captain Tighe.

“As always, IALPA remains open to direct discussions with Aer Lingus to resolve this dispute in a way that fairly regulates pilots’ salaries.”

However, in a statement, the airline said that Aer Lingus “remains available for meaningful direct discussions with IALPA,” but that the pilots’ association “has so far refused to participate in such meaningful discussions and ended recent direct discussions with the company on Monday 17 June.”

They said Aer Lingus wrote to IALPA on Sunday 23 June requesting talks and asking the association to “engage again with the government’s industrial relations apparatus (the Employment Tribunal and the Industrial Relations Commission) but this request has so far been refused”.

Aer Lingus’ regional flights between Belfast and the UK, operated by Emerald Airlines, are not affected by IALPA’s industrial action and will operate as planned.

The airline said passengers booked flights between June 26 and July 2 have several options available.

Everyone should be contacted by email or SMS or through their travel agent.

Customers who booked directly with Aer Lingus have the option to rebook flights online. The company said it would waive the fare difference and any rebooking fees if the booking was rescheduled for a later date.

You also have the option to request a full refund or a refund voucher that can be redeemed within five years.

Aer Lingus said passengers who booked through a travel agent or third-party provider must contact those companies directly.

“Unfortunately, Aer Lingus cannot help directly in these cases,” Aer Lingus explains on its website.