'Zero public support' for pilot strike, claims Taoiseach

IALPA Aer Lingus pilots strike at Dublin Airport on Saturday 29th June 2024. Picture: Fintan Clarke

There is “zero public support” for industrial action being undertaken by Aer Lingus pilots, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

Representatives from Aer Lingus and IALPA, the union representing pilots, are due to take part in a further round of talks at the Labour Court on Monday.

The pilots' work-to-rule has been in place since the middle of last week, and they engaged in an eight hour work stoppage on Saturday morning, noting that the failure to agree terms could result in further stoppages going forward.

Almost 400 flights have been cancelled by Aer Lingus to date.

Mr Harris said that both sides in the increasingly bitter dispute need to work together and come to an agreement on pay, while saying that all industrial action ends in agreement.

He added that a compromise will be reached, but that could the two sides not reach it “without putting us all through the misery that comes in the meantime”.

“Both sides need to dig deep here. There is absolutely zero public support for this action. Zero,” Mr Harris said, speaking on Newstalk.

“That’s not, by the way, me letting the employer off the hook. I’m not apportioning blame.”

Taoiseach Simon Harris.

Pressed on his “zero public support” comments, Mr Harris said that he believed there were “very few” members of the public backing the pilots.

“Very few because at the end of the day, Irish people are decent and full of common sense,” he said.

“They want to see this resolved and they believe people should, instead of taking the planes out of the sky and not allowing people go on their summer holidays, they should lock themselves in a room and not leave the room until they sort this out.”

Mr Harris said that any employee had the right to put in a pay claim, while saying that Aer Lingus should “dig deep” and reach a compromise with the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa).

“The Government will not be found wanting in terms of making the industrial mechanism of the State available,” Mr Harris said.

“We don’t own Air Lingus, but I’m very clear on this. I have no tolerance for any side to this dispute if they won’t engage.”

The Taoiseach said that he is concerned about the level of “bad blood” between the two parties, citing the high level of support among Ialpa members for rejecting the previous pay offer.

“While I’m critical of the action, I’m also saying ‘hang on a second’. If so many – what is there, 90% of people, more maybe – are rejecting the offer, that doesn’t suggest to me that there’s good working relations in Aer Lingus.

“That should be a cause for concern as well.”

Further action not off the table

Speaking on the same programme, Ialpa President Mark Tighe said that further industrial action is not off the table as he says that pilots do not plan to back down.

Mr Tighe said that their pay claim of 23.8% is “clearly reasonable and affordable” for a company as profitable as Aer Lingus.

He said that Ialpa are in a “strong position” following their strike action on Saturday, while saying that pilots will continue to fight.

“Increased industrial action is clearly on the table,” he said.