The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) at Aer Lingus has urged its members to reject a Labour Court interim recommendation of a 9.25pc pay increase, citing a lack of realism and common sense in the negotiation process.
IALPA sought a 27pc pay increase over three years, while Aer Lingus offered 12.25pc, with differing allocations for a 2019 crewing agreement resulting in proposed net increases of 8.5pc and 20pc respectively. As well as pay, the pilots dispute also involves issues around the 2019 crewing agreement, overnight allowances and the structure of pay scales. The pilots had been seeking four increases totalling 23.8pc covering the period from November 2022 to March of next year, although it is understood that the airline considers the real cost to be around 27pc when the crewing agreement is factored in.
An independent Pilot Pay Tribunal previously recommended a 12.25pc consolidated pay increase and a 1.5pc unconsolidated pay rise for pilots. The industrial relations dispute arbiter has proposed that the 800 pilots receive a 2pc increase from January 1 of last year, 1.75pc from July 1 of 2023, 2pc from October 1 of 2023 and 3.5pc with effect from January 1 of this year.
The increases would not include a “debt” that both parties agree results from changes to leave rosters and other arrangements that arise from a crewing agreement struck several years ago. The Labour Court says that debt should form part of a final agreement around the dispute.
The court recommended the continuation of engagement, with the assistance of the Workplace Relations Commission, on all matters in dispute with a view to reaching overall agreement and said that engagement should be concluded by the end of August.
Aer Lingus has accepted the Labour Court’s interim recommendation for a 9.25pc pay increase and expressed readiness to engage further in discussions suggested by the Court to address the ongoing issue.
Unions representing other workers at Aer Lingus have already agreed a deal that will see their wages rise by a total of 12.25pc over five tranches from January of last year to January of next year. That deal also includes a one-off payment equivalent to 1.5pc of pay to be made in October 2024.
Before the matter came to the Labour Court, the dispute was the subject of a recommendation from the Pilot Pay Tribunal which was rejected by the pilots. Conciliation at the WRC followed, but ultimately proved unsuccessful. It was subsequently referred to the court in March and two hearings took place last month.
The interim recommendation said: “In the event of a failure to find overall agreement with the assistance of the WRC, outstanding matters to be referred again to the Court for a final and definitive recommendation. The parties should recognise that the scope of the agreement which they have been pursuing through various fora since December of 2022 is beyond their capacity at this time. The continuing failure to secure comprehensive agreement has the potential to become a point of dispute in itself. The parties before the Court have a long history of constructive engagement and have demonstrated a capacity to achieve collective agreement between them on matters giving rise to disputation over many years. It is a matter of concern to the Court that the extensive engagement between the parties in relation to the matters now before the Court has not resulted in any discernible indication of understanding by the parties that the resolution of the trade dispute will require the exercise of pragmatism, realism and common sense in order to identify a position that has the potential to be accepted by both,” it stated. The emphasis of the submissions made by the parties to the Court has been to highlight the significant difference between the parties as regards almost all matters in dispute.”
Aer Lingus said in a written statement that it has reviewed the interim recommendation: “we note the challenges that the Court has outlined which prevented it from issuing a final and definitive recommendation on the issues before the Court. Aer Lingus accepts the content of the recommendation that was issued and will look to take the interim steps outlined within it. Aer Lingus looks forward to re-engaging on the issues in the WRC as recommended by the Court,” the airline added.
The dispute has cost Aer LIngus its place as launch customer for the A321XLR.
