Some 1,500 Aer Lingus general operatives are to be offered pay increases of between £39 and £55 a week as the result of a Labour Court recommendation. The company is hoping the package will help to defuse the industrial unrest that has grounded the company's fleet twice in recent weeks and caused disruption to services.
Catering staff are threatening to resume strike action tomorrow night. The general operatives' committee is to meet at the airport today to consider its attitude to the proposals.
Aer Lingus clerical staff have accepted a similar deal and the Aer Lingus director of corporate affairs, Mr Dan Loughrey, last night said the "award represents a good deal that addresses the issue of low pay within the context of what the company can afford".
SIPTU negotiator Mr Dermot O'Loughlin said the offer "was a detailed recommendation and it will be examined closely when put to the general operatives' committee today".
The Labour Court proposes that all general operatives, who include baggage handlers, caterers and transport staff, should receive a "central increase" of £25 a week on top of whatever they have been offered at local level negotiations. Local negotiations have so far yielded increases of between £14 and £30 a week for general operatives.
The sting in the tail of the Labour Court award is that some groups such as caterers have already rejected local increases and the central increases will only be paid if the local deals are accepted as well.
It also recommends shortening the current 23-point salary scale to 18 points. This would represent an increase of about £10 a week for new recruits.