Aer Lingus crews slam pay offer as strike begins

AER LINGUS cabin crews would lose out financially if they were to accede to changes sought by the company, the IMPACT trade union said yesterday.

As workers prepared o picket Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports this morning, IMPACT officials said company plans would leave workers worse off even if an overdue pay rise of 4%, due under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF), was forthcoming.

Today's 24-hour strike is over pay and productivity. The strike has forced Aer Lingus to hire aircraft and crews to service its routes. There will be a further one-day stoppage on Monday. The threat of further actions at a later date have not been ruled out.