Grounded staff face sack in row

AER Lingus has upped the ante on the cabin crew embroiled in a dispute with management by threatening to fire staff who continue to refuse to operate the new rosters which it introduced last Monday.

For the last five days the airline’s management has been holding meetings with individual cabin crew members who have refused to work the rosters. During each meeting — at which the workers have representation from their union IMPACT — the company has given each person the opportunity to sign an undertaking that they will toe the management line.

However, in almost 150 cases, the cabin crew member has refused and has been removed from duty and from the payroll.