Labour Court investigation set to end Aer Lingus row

A Labour Court investigation into a dispute between management at Aer Lingus and trade unions over proposals to introduce revised terms and conditions for staff at the airline continued over the weekend. A recommendation on the dispute may come as early as today.

Moves by the company to introduce new contracts, which trade unions maintained represented a breach of agreements signed last year, led to a threatened strike at the airline last week.

Under its re-structuring proposals Aer Lingus had sought to reduce holiday leave and time off for working bank holidays, and to cut allowances and shift premium payments.

It also wanted to introduce more flexible working hours and practices. The airline maintained that existing work practices were uncompetitive.

Aer Lingus has already issued new contracts with the revised terms and conditions to staff who joined the payroll after the beginning of February.

The company also sought to introduce the revised terms and conditions for existing staff from the beginning of March.

The intervention of the Labour Court averted a planned 24-hour strike by the trade union Siptu and craft unions at the airline.

The 24-hour strike was to have been followed by a ban on overtime, a work to rule and the withdrawal of non-emergency call-out services.

Aer Lingus agreed not to introduce controversial new contracts for existing staff from March 1st as proposed.Siptu has around 1,800 members at the airline mainly in the clerical and ground operations area. It also represents some cabin crew.