Aer Lingus in fresh war of words with pilots over cutbacks plan

YET another war of words has broken out between Aer Lingus and its pilots over attempts to bring in a new savings programme at the airline.

Almost four months to the day since Aer Lingus announced it wanted to introduce €97m in efficiencies across the airline through its “Greenfield” plan, the entirety of the document is yet to be signed off. That is in spite of the fact innumerable hours have been spent in arbitration between management and the various staff unions.

As of the end of 2009, all but the pilots had agreed their share of the savings.

In a last ditch attempt to secure a deal with that group, an arbitration tribunal was put in place which, after intense negotiation managed to come up with a formula which provided for a €30 million contribution from the pilots involving almost 80 of them losing their jobs and the rest facing 10% pay cuts.

The Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA) had concerns on some aspects of the recommendation made by the tribunal on January 8, most notably around pensions, but still agreed to put the deal to a ballot of its members.

Yesterday, however, the airline released a statement criticising what it saw as a delay by IALPA in conducting that ballot.

“On January 8, Aer Lingus received the decision document from the Arbitration Tribunal and although a compromise, the company accepted its terms as fair and binding,” a spokesman said. He added: “Aer Lingus is deeply concerned that despite the IALPA acceptance of the decisions of the Arbitration Tribunal on January 14 they still have not taken any concrete action to bring the matter to finality.”

He said: “Aer Lingus demands that IALPA urgently put the Arbitration document to a ballot of its members.”

However, a spokesman for the pilots last night said the company was playing games. “All of the staff unions were in the Labour Relations Commission today finalising the deal. The company is looking to provoke the pilots. All the unions have tried, since Greenfield was announced, to bring the matter to a conclusion in the interests of the future of Aer Lingus.”