The dispute at Aer Lingus over its plan to open a base in Belfast is set to intensify today with the possible suspension of pilots who refuse to co-operate with the move, writes Martin Wall, Industry Correspondent.
The airline said yesterday it would instruct senior pilots to facilitate its plan from this morning, and those who refused to do so would be suspended.
But the pilots' union, Impact, said it had advised members to continue to refuse co-operation with the move.
Union sources warned there would be a "response" if pilots were suspended, heightening fears of a potential new dispute at the former State airline.
The row between Aer Lingus and its pilots over the new Belfast base - where management is planning to employ staff on local pay and conditions - has been simmering for about two months and almost resulted in a 48-hour strike in August.
However the issue has been brought to a head once again as a result of a move by management to require pilots to begin participating in the recruitment process for staff to be employed in Belfast.
The Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa), which is a branch of Impact, has had a ban on co-operation with the establishment of the new Belfast operation in place for several months.
Ialpa wants a role in negotiating the terms and conditions to apply in Belfast.
It is understood that between 50 and 70 pilots at Aer Lingus hold posts which involve participation in the process of recruitment of new staff.
In a letter to pilots yesterday, Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion said the airline had reached a stage in the process of recruiting new aircraft captains and first officers for the Belfast base that it needed assistance from qualified pilots among its existing staff in screening, assessing and interviewing candidates.
He said that pilots were also required to instruct, train and check out those who were successful.
"In the absence of co-operation from Ialpa to meet these urgent requirements, we will commence instructing relevant pilots from 10am tomorrow, October 9th, 2007," he said.
Mr Mannion maintained that assisting with recruitment and/or training of new staff was "an integral part of the duties of a significant number of pilots and full co-operation is expected in this regard".
"It is important that you understand that if you fail to carry out your full range of duties, for whatever reason, you will be suspended from the payroll with immediate effect," he said.
A spokesman for Impact said that the threat of suspension, issued during a period of intense negotiations surrounding the Belfast base, would be counter-productive.
The spokesman said that a mandate for the ban on co-operation with the Belfast operation had been secured in a ballot in June.
He said that in the short term the union's policy of non-co-operation with duties relating to the establishment of the Belfast base would remain in place.
The executive of Ialpa will meet today and consider "an appropriate response" to the company's letter.
Meanwhile separately yesterday the trade union Siptu said that it was not ruling out industrial action over the pay freeze imposed on staff by the airline last week until a €20 million cost-cutting plan was implemented.
Siptu accused the company of being in breach of the national agreement and other commitments. However it said that it would co-operate with the National Implementation Body in any initiative to resolve the dispute.