Marathon Aer Lingus talks continue

AER Lingus management and cabin crew will this afternoon enter a fourth day of talks on the ongoing rostering dispute which has cancelled 24 flights today.

Shortly before 11pm last night, after a further 10 hours of talks, the mediation at the Labour Relations Commission adjourned.

As they emerged, neither side gave details of the content of the discussions or a timeframe for a resolution though sources reiterated progress was being made.

More than 300 cabin crew have been removed from duty and the payroll over the last two weeks for refusing to work new rosters introduced by the airline on January 17.

There is speculation that a number could be sacked within days if a resolution cannot be found.

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.

Both sides recognise the need for “block” flight hours to 850 but they are at odds as to how the that figure should be reached.

IMPACT says under management’s new rosters members could face having to work up to 11 hours with no meal break and that potentially they could be sent to work away from base for 26 days at a stretch.

For its part the company points out that the longest working day under its new rosters is 11 hours and 55 minutes and they account for significantly less than 1% of the rosters.

Flights cancelled today include return services between Dublin and New York and Dublin and Orlando. There is one return flight cancelled between Cork and Munich and the rest are flights between Dublin and various British and European destinations.