The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) has to give at least one week’s notice to Aer Lingus before any action in the pay dispute takes place.
That means any first strike date could be as early as next week. Aer Lingus carries about 40,000 passengers a day during the busy summer season. Any strike action will have a huge impact on holidaymakers and other flyers.
Any action shouldn’t impact Aer Lingus Regional flights, however. They’re operated by a separate company, Emerald Airlines, under a franchise agreement. Aer Lingus Regional pilots sealed a pay deal earlier this year.
Aer Lingus has already asked the union to give it 15 days’ notice of any possible industrial action. If it can give passengers 15 days’ notice that their flights are being cancelled, it means the carrier won’t have to pay out significant compensation to customers under EU rules.
“Any decision by Ialpa to now serve notice of industrial action would be entirely unnecessary and would result in significant disruption to the airline’s customers and to other employees,” said a spokesperson for the airline on Monday.
Ialpa, which represents almost 800 pilots at Aer Lingus, said on Monday that it’s now consulting its umbrella union, Fórsa, to consider the next steps it will take.
Fórsa said that action can be averted if “management agree to a fair pay deal”.
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Ialpa said its pilots are now “more determined than ever” to secure their near 24pc pay claim.
It’s understood Ialpa will make an announcement on Tuesday, which could include the first strike dates.
The weekend ballot was taken after Aer Lingus last week questioned the legality of an electronic ballot that had first been undertaken by Ialpa. Rather than argue its case in court, Ialpa immediately commenced a paper ballot of pilots.
Ialpa president Captain Mark Tighe said the result of the second ballot was “an incredible reaffirmation of our mandate for industrial action in pursuit of a meaningful pay offer”.
He said: “It is unconscionable that an employer would attempt to undermine our members’ democratic and constitutional right to vote for industrial action. The effect of Aer Lingus management’s intervention last week has served only to further antagonise pilots. They are now more determined than ever.”
“This ballot has reaffirmed the commitment of our members to stand up to management,” he said.
A 24pc pay hike would see the most senior captains at Aer Lingus get a near €50,000 a year pay rise and bring their basic annual pay to €256,000.
When other elements such as long service increments and flight pay are factored in, it could see those most senior pilots earn as much as €349,000 a year. The most senior pilots at the airline receive a huge pension contribution from the carrier as part of that overall package, with a mammoth 21pc of their salary contributed by Aer Lingus to their pension pots.
The Labour Court issued an interim recommendation last month that would have seen the pilots receive a 9.25pc pay increase. That proposal was accepted by Aer Lingus but overwhelmingly rejected by pilots.
Aer Lingus has offered 12.25pc.
An independent Pilot Pay Tribunal last year recommended a 12.25pc increase in consolidated pay and a 1.5pc rise in unconsolidated pay for the pilots.