Aer Lingus pilots will receive a 17.75pc pay rise if both parties accept the Labour Court recommendation
The recommendation covers a four-year period from 2023 to 2026. Pilots will not be required to provide additional productivity or flexibility.
This is a similar amount to the increases agreed for other staff at the airline.
In addition, the pilots would get a total of 5pc in two phases this year, 3pc in one instalment next year, and 4pc in two phases in 2026.
An overnight allowance would be increased by 10pc and a pay scale that is 10pc lower for new recruits abolished.
Debt that the pilots were carrying as part of a crewing agreement that related to their pay during the Covid pandemic will be scrapped.
It is also proposed that an annual leave arrangement that was recently agreed will be abolished.
The proposed pay rises are phased out over the years, with additional benefits such as increased overnight allowances and the removal of a lower pay scale for new recruits.
The Labour Court said: “The court recommends that the contested elements of these agreements, including the entire ‘Crewing Agreement’, and all elements of either agreement associated with rostering/summer leave etc., giving rise to ‘debt’ currently owed by pilots, be regarded as unsustainable and inoperable and that these elements should now be regarded as terminated by agreement at the end of 2024. In the event that either party should propose to enter an agreement in the future addressing these same matters, any such claim should be pursued as a fresh claim through normal procedures as necessary. The court understood from its engagements with the parties on both of these occasions that the potential exists for a very grave and unfavourable outcome to this trade dispute should resolution not be found in the short term. Similarly, the court came to understand that, notwithstanding their extensive engagements directly and with the assistance of a series of expert bodies, no discernible narrowing of the gap between the parties’ respective positions on key matters, or indeed their disputation on matters of fact, had emerged.”
In a statement following the recommendation, Aer Lingus said: “Aer Lingus has reviewed the final recommendation of the Labour Court and has decided to accept it. The airline will have to consider the longer-term implications of implementing the recommendation and of this dispute which has been enormously damaging both financially and reputationally. Aer Lingus encourages Fórsa / 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 wage increases roughly equate to 9pc in backdated payments and 8pc in increases going forward:
- 2pc backdated to 1st January 2023
- 1.75pc backdated to 1st July 2023
- 2pc backdated to 1st October 2023
- 3.5pc from 1st January 2024
- 1.5pc from 1st October 2024
- 3pc from 1st January 2025
- 3pc from 1st January 2026
- 1pc from 1st July 2026
Industrial action by pilots has so far led to the cancellation of 548 flights up until Sunday 14 July.
