Aer Lingus parties told to work on relationship

Aer Lingus and its unions have been told to "urgently" review industrial relations at the airline to prevent future strikes similar to those which saw 30,000 passengers grounded at the end of last month.and could have seen 70,000 more affected next week.

Both airline management and cabin crew union Impact have accepted a recommendation on the rostering dispute issued by the Labour Court yesterday morning.

As a preface to its findings, the Labour Court’s chairman Kevin Duffy said the mediation body wished to make some general recommendations “directed at assisting the parties in bringing about a general improvement in the conduct of industrial relations within the airline so as to minimise the possibility of similar disputes arising in the future”.

He said the parties should carry out an urgent review of current industrial relations practices and procedures, including procedures for resolving disputes.

“In that review the parties should agree to the establishment of an internal forum through which issues in dispute can be resolved as close as possible to the point at which they arise,” he said, adding that the court would remain available to provid

Furthermore, in relation to the court’s recommendations on the rostering dispute itself, he said both parties should commit to reaching final agreement “through negotiation and where necessary, through final adjudication”.

“In particular, the parties should refrain from any form of industrial action.”

The court’s comments come ahead of Monday’s publication of the final report by the expert panel appointed by the Government, Ibec, and the Ictu to examine the €700m-plus deficit in the pension scheme of Aer Lingus and the Dublin Airport Authority. That report’s contents could trigger further industrial action threats by either ground or cabin staff at the airline if it recommends significant losses to individuals’ pension entitlements.

On the rostering issue the Labour Court yesterday recommended a number of measures including:

- The parties should establish a “technical group” to consider the technical and operational changes necessary for a 5:3 roster for short-haul which had been sought by cabin crew. However, it did agree with the company that implementation of such a roster should be cost neutral and deliver a “high level of productivity”;

- To facilitate the new rostering being recommended, the company should arrange to recruit an additional 20 full-time-equivalent cabin crew;

- On acceptance of the recommendation, staff privileges, taken off a number of cabin crew after the May 30 action, should be restored.