Pilots' union and Aer Lingus pay talks break down

Irish Air Line Pilots' Association (IALPA) president Mark Tighe confirmed pay discussions had broken down

Talks between Aer Lingus and the trade union for pilots in Ireland to resolve an ongoing pay dispute have broken down.

The airline issued an invitation to the Irish Air Line Pilots' Association (IALPA) on Wednesday after pilots began an indefinite work-to-rule, meaning they are not working overtime or carrying out any other out-of-hours duties.

An eight-hour strike from 05:00 -13:00 local time is also planned for Saturday.

The trade union is calling for a 24% pay rise for members.

On Thursday afternoon, IALPA President Capt Mark Tighe confirmed at this point "talks have broken down".

Capt Tighe said during Thursday's meeting the union had moved from its inflationary figure of almost 24%.

However, he added: "The company has not moved from its statement that anything more than 12.25% would have to be funded by pilots' own payments through work practice."

The pilots' union started an indefinite work-to-rule at midnight on Wednesday

Donal Moriarty, Aer Lingus' chief corporate affairs officer, said the airline had "engaged constructively" in talks with the union.

"We tried to discuss items that could actually resolve this dispute, in particular we tried to discuss productivity, flexibility and the modernisation of our collective agreement," Mr Moriarty said.

He added discussing these are "essential" for reaching a pay deal, but IALPA was unable to enter into these talks as it has "no mandate to do so".

"We advised IALPA and encouraged them to revisit that mandate in order to put within their power the normal aspect of pay negotiations," Mr Moriarty said.

Escalation 'can't be ruled out'

The total number of flights cancelled as a result of the industrial action, Aer Lingus said, is 270.

All Aer Lingus UK regional flights, operated by Emerald Airlines, and Aer Lingus UK transatlantic flights to and from Manchester will operate as scheduled.

Speaking on BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster programme earlier on Thursday, Capt Tighe said "nothing has changed" and the union has been "wanting and willing" to meet.

He explained that the 24% increase is a "cumulative figure of inflation from 2019, our last pay rise.

"We've had this for 22 months, and until a deal is agreed and brought to the members, the point of agreement between the negotiators and the company, at that point in time the executives would look at stopping the action but until then there will be no stopping the action."

Capt Tighe added that an escalation of the action "can't be ruled out".

He said: "Our passengers are very important to us as pilots, our managers don't meet our passengers, we do every day, we interact with them, they're really important to us, we did not want it to come to this."

The number of flights cancelled "beggars belief", he said, as only a "small percentage" of pilots work outside of their contracted hours.

"The rest of us are tired, we need time to rest and time to spend with our families but the company are somehow saying that all of these flight cancellations are due to this tiny number of people who work on their days off. It beggars belief and it's not credible."

Dublin Airport on the first day of industrial action

In a statement the airline said: "Aer Lingus will continue to focus on minimising the disruption caused to customers by IALPA’s industrial action."

The airline said it "made it clear that it remains available for discussions both directly and through the state’s industrial relations framework”.

Aer Lingus called on IALPA to "consider the damage that its continued industrial action is inflicting upon passengers, the company and the Irish economy”.

A full list of cancelled flights up to and including 2 July can be found on the airline's website.

It said: "The nature of this industrial action may lead to further cancellations and delays and we will communicate directly with impacted customers as soon as possible."

The pilots' union started an indefinite work-to-rule at midnight on Wednesday

How much are Aer Lingus pilots paid?

Co-pilots can start out at about €36,000 (£30,400), with packages increasing based on actual flying hours.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ reports a captain at the top of the scale can be paid about €287,000 (£242,000).

Capt Mark Tighe explained that this can take up to 26 years.

There are differences for pilots depending on whether flights are short or long-haul.

What do I do if my Aer Lingus flight is cancelled?

The airline has said passengers with flights booked between 26 June and 2 July have a number of options available.

Each should be contacted via email or SMS, or through their travel agent.

For customers who have booked directly with Aer Lingus, there is the option to change flights online.

The company said it will waive the fare difference and any change fee if rebooking for a later date.

There is also the option to request a full refund or a refund voucher, which can be redeemed within five years.

Aer Lingus said passengers who booked through a travel agent or third party must contact those companies directly.

"Unfortunately, Aer Lingus is unable to assist directly in these cases," Aer Lingus outlines on its website.