Aer Lingus talks continue

Aer Lingus management and Union representatives are due back before the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) today for talks over the airline’s new Belfast base.

Discussions on the current row, which had threatened to ground the airline’s fleet for two days last week affecting around 40,000 passengers, were adjourned at the LRC on Wednesday afternoon.

The dispute centres on whether the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) and Impact should have a role in negotiating the pay and conditions for pilots recruited at the new Northern Ireland base.

The union claimed pilots recruited in Belfast would be on worse terms and conditions than those that apply in the Republic.

But the airline, which said unions could not be involved in such negotiations on bases outside the Republic, insisted pilots would receive higher salaries at the early part of the pay scale, although they would not be allowed participate in the defined benefit pension scheme.

The pilots union said last week they were optimistic a solution could be found to resolve the disagreement.

Further talks are scheduled for Thursday and Friday.