Workers at Aer Lingus are to vote on a pay deal that could help clear the way for the part-privatisation of the airline, writes Chris Dooley, Industry and Employment Correspondent
The ballots are expected to proceed following confirmation by the company yesterday that it has accepted in full a Labour Court recommendation issued earlier this week.
The court said workers should receive a 4 per cent pay increase for co-operating with the com-pany's 2004 business plan, as well as service-based lump sum payments averaging €4,000.
The increases are in addition to the 10 per cent rise proposed in the new national pay deal.
Concerns that the company might not accept the recommendation in full had threatened to jeopardise a deal.
However, in a statement yesterday the airline said it had accepted the court's recommendation, which set out pay-and-reward terms for all Irish-based staff other than pilots.
"We look forward to bringing matters relating to pilots' pay to a successful conclusion during the next week," it added.
The statement was welcomed by the two biggest unions at the airline, Impact and Siptu.
Impact said it would ballot its members shortly on the recommendation, as well as on a package of measures designed to protect staff in the event of the planned sale of the company going ahead.
Siptu's Aer Lingus branch organiser Christy McQuillan said the branch could now consider the full implications of the recommendation "and advise our members accordingly".
Acceptance of the recommendation would remove one of the remaining obstacles to the planned flotation of the airline in the autumn.
While Siptu is opposed to privatisation in principle, it would find it difficult to block the move once industrial relations issues, such as those covered by the Labour Court recommendation, are agreed.
Impact is less stridently opposed to privatisation once measures designed to protect jobs and workers' pay and conditions are put in place.
Agreement has already been reached with the airline on the issues involved.