About 4,000 Aer Lingus passengers will be stranded today because of a four-hour stoppage by clerical staff. Thirty-five of the company's 260 flights are cancelled, including almost all domestic flights.
The company is also facing a new wave of strikes over pay with SIPTU caterers and clerical workers serving strike notice for one-day stoppages on Thursday and Friday of next week.
IMPACT cabin crew representatives, due to meet the Labour Relations Commission later today, are also threatening to resume industrial action because of lack of progress in talks. They grounded the fleet for 24 hours on October 17th.
Today almost 1,200 clerical staff, who include arrivals, check-in and boarding personnel, will stop work between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to march through Dublin Airport. At Shannon there could be a complete closure of the airport, with more restricted action at Cork.
Caterers, who had flight concessions withdrawn by the company after an unofficial stoppage earlier this month, have served strike notice for next Thursday.
SIPTU negotiator Mr Dermot O'Loughlin accused management of walking out of talks with the caterers and described an offer to increase an hourly rate of £12.26 to £13.54 as "derisory".
The company's director of corporate affairs, Mr Dan Loughrey, denied there had been a management walkout. Talks had been going nowhere and the meeting was simply adjourned.
The SIPTU negotiator for clerical staff, Mr Morgan Nolan, called on the company to use the window of opportunity that would exist before next week's stoppages to address the low pay issue.