Airline strike averted but no resolution on pay

Monday’s disruptive airport stoppages may have been averted, but there is little optimism that talks at the Labour Relations Commission can resolve the two-year old pension dispute at Aer Lingus and Dublin Airport Authority.

Unions and management from the two companies have agreed to meet at 10.30am today to discuss proposals by LRC chief executive Kieran Mulvey, on how to address the €700m shortfall in the Irish airlines superannuation scheme, which has in the region of 15,000 members, mainly from Aer Lingus and DAA.

Sources have said that while the parties have agreed to enter talks, there is little in the propo-sals to suggest there will be enough to bring the sides any closer together. One source said much of the 47-page document from Mr Mulvey recapped on how the sides had reached the impasse and the rest was “short on definitives”.