Airline to resume talks with cabin crew

WITH a further 20 of its flights cancelled today, Aer Lingus will this morning resume talks with its cabin crew over the long running roster-dispute.

Both sides spent more than 10 hours in negotiations at the Labour Relations Commission but late last night the session was adjourned with neither side commenting on progress but trade union sources saying focus remains on resolving the issues.

Over the last two weeks, more than 300 crew have been removed from duty for refusing to work new rosters introduced by the airline on January 17. Most of the suspended staff have also been removed from the payroll.

Last week the company began holding one-to-one “information” meetings with the suspended staff as a part of a disciplinary process which could see those who continue to refuse to work the rosters being sacked.

Yesterday the next stage of that process saw some of the staff being posted, what the company described as, “disciplinary notices”.

The staff, represented by IMPACT trade union, are refusing to work the new rosters because they say they have been imposed on staff without agreement. The two sides agree on the need to increase annual “block” flight hours to 850. However, the means by which that total is reached is the bone of contention.

IMPACT trade union says the new rosters could see its members having to work up to 11 hours with no meal break.

It also says management is trying to force its members to offer a flexibility which could see them having their duties changed by three hours on the day of duty or potentially being sent to work away from base for 26 days at a stretch.

Today 20 flights have been cancelled including, for the first time for a number of days, a transatlantic flight to Boston.