AER LINGUS expects that about 12 of its scheduled flights may be cancelled today due to the continuing dispute with cabin crew over new rosters.
It is estimated that 600 to 700 passengers could be affected by the move.
The company said it expected that this level of disruption would continue in the coming days. Where possible it was seeking to confine the disruption to routes on which there were a number of services per day. It said most passengers would reach their destination on the intended day.
The Government signalled for the first time yesterday that it wanted to see new talks between Aer Lingus and the union Impact, which represents the cabin crew, in a bid to reach a resolution.
Minister of State for Labour Affairs Dara Calleary said he was “very concerned” about the escalating situation at the airline.
He appealed “to all parties to the dispute to engage with the State’s industrial relations dispute settlement machinery”.
Although it is understood that there have been contacts behind the scenes, there was no indication that further talks would be convened.
Impact wants the Labour Court to intervene. However a spokesman for Aer Lingus last night said its position was unchanged, and it saw no scope for further engagement given that it had already spent 15 months in a process with the cabin crew.
As the dispute continued to escalate, the airline said about 200 members of cabin crew had now been removed from the payroll for refusing to operate new rosters which it introduced unilaterally last week. The union said an extra 20 cabin crew members have been removed from duties but not yet from the payroll.
The airline also initiated a disciplinary process against a number of cabin crew who had been removed from the payroll. It has warned that this process could ultimately lead to the staff being sacked.
As part of this process two investigative meetings were held, with a further four scheduled for today. The union said the threat to sack staff was totally disproportionate
The airline has said the new rosters and associated rules are essential to secure an increase in flying hours for cabin crew to 850 per year, as agreed under a cost-saving plan.
Impact has argued that while cabin crew have agreed to increase flying hours, the new rosters are excessively onerous.
Aer Lingus said the 12 flights cancelled yesterday – to destinations in the UK and Europe – represented less than 10 per cent of the total flight schedule for the day.
It said there would be “limited cancellations over the coming days” as a result of the dispute.