Aer Lingus staff to strike unless pay freeze lifted

AER Lingus ground staff have threatened to begin strike action if the airline does not lift a freeze on pay increases worth up to 7.5% each.

The company has withheld the payments — arrears under national wage agreements and in-house agreements — since last October and threatened to keep the money indefinitely unless the ground staff agreed to accept their half of the airline’s e20 million cost saving programme.

The increases were also initially withheld from cabin crew but that freeze was lifted when the air staff agreed to their e10m share of the savings programme.

Last month, the ground staff voted for the second time not to sign up to the cost savings agenda and since then there has been no response from the company.

Aer Lingus management were due to hold a board meeting today to discuss the ground staff’s latest refusal.

The airline is unlikely to incite immediate strike action, with its busiest and most profitable time of the year just around the corner, but it is still likely to flex its corporate muscle.

Yesterday, SIPTU, which represents the ground staff, said it was only fair workers were given the money they were owed when pay rises of up to e45,000 had been awarded to some senior managers at the airline.

SIPTU branch organiser Teresa Hannick said pay increases to management were “totally inappropriate” at a time when the airline is cutting costs through a pay freeze imposed on its members since October 1.

“The management wants our members to embrace widespread change that severely disrupts their family lives in order to generate savings while non-executive board directors are having their standard fees increased from e17,500 a year to e45,000 just to attend meetings. e45,000 is considerably more than many of our members earn in a year.

“Some increases in costs facing the company, such as rising fuel prices, are unavoidable but there can be no justification for this sort of self-indulgence by senior management. SIPTU has written to the company today to reactivate our claim to pay rises due on October 1 and April 1 worth an extra 7.5%.

“Failing a satisfactory response we will be balloting members for industrial action.”

SIPTU already has a live mandate for industrial action if Aer Lingus moves to implement cost cutting measures without agreement. It balloted staff for industrial action last October over the pay freeze, but is planning to re-ballot staff on this issue to ensure their mandate for strike action remains valid.

Last night the airline was unavailable for comment on the latest developments in a dispute which has, to date, lasted 18 months.