THE RESULT of a ballot for industrial action by cabin crew at Aer Lingus will be known today.
The row centres on how a controversial €97-million cost-saving plan across the airline will be implemented for cabin crew.
Under the plan, which cabin crew approved several months ago after initially rejecting it, “flight time” was to be increased to 850 hours per year.
Flight time is the period from when an aircraft begins to move from the terminal to when it comes to a stop after landing. As such, it is only a sub-set of the overall duty hours of cabin crew, which includes time spent checking in, participating in briefings and security arrangements.
The Impact trade union maintained that while it has agreed to increases in flight time, the company had unilaterally increased overall duty hours and changed employment terms.
It said the company had increased duty hours by 36 hours per month, taken away meal breaks and reduced rest time.
Sources close to the company have argued the new arrangements form part of changes needed to bring about the increase in flight time.
When the ballot was announced late last month, Impact said that if it was carried the cabin crew would work to the terms of their contract but that there would not be an all-out strike.
Aer Lingus said it, “has the means to deal with every outcome” arising from the union decision to ballot cabin crew for industrial action.
It said there would be no disruption to travel plans of passengers arising out of the cabin crew ballot on industrial action.