An airline sets up a new base and wishes to introduce T's and C's appropriate tp that local market a market in another ciountry and you take that to ean your career is under threat?
Actually, for a number of pilots, it is. While the seniority system may be an outdated system it is still in place in Aer Lingus and a very difficult thing to replace. As I understand the situation talking to Aer Lingus flight crew in the last few days, there is a long standing agreement between pilots and management that seniority must be respected and that all flight crew in the pointy end of the green machines should be on equal T & C's. The proposed deal for new staff at Belfast, for example, direct entry captains, means that this is not the case.
In effect, people waiting patiently for eight years for their turn at promotion are now told that, contrary to the existing agreements in place, they will be blatantly ignored in favour of new arrivals who may well have less experience than they have. If they want a chance at those positions they must resign their current place and re-apply for the Belfast positions with terms and conditions below what they already have and no guarantees of resuming work with the same employer.
In addition to this, there would be nothing to stop Aer Lingus management firing staff in Dublin and transferring the cheaper 'Northern' staff down south in their place. Anyone remember the Irish Ferries dispute? It's a very similar situation and at that time the public were firmly behind the striking Irish Ferries employees!!
Go here for a reminder of the issues involved.
Aer Lingus management are not respecting their existing agreements, in fact they have made very clear that they have no intention of respecting those agreements. Remember, after 9/11, Aer Lingus staff themselves, through their unions, approached their management with a view to taking measures to ensure the survival of the airline. For those same workers to be treated in this manner now is understandably a very difficult pill for them to swallow.
As to
"T's and C's appropriate tp that local market" (sic) there are a number of people north of the border who are very annoyed that Aer Lingus does not see fit to offer new employees similar T & C's to those of other crew members, based in Belfast or elsewhere.
Another agreement in place is that the senior flight crew who are senior IALPA members are given appropriate leave to deal with issues with management. Management have made this very difficult, allocating the "IALPA days" when management are not available and offering to talk when their IALPA counterparts are flying. Not exactly a great way to maintain good industrial relations.
It seems to me that the last annoyance of IALPA members is the relative silence of their union, who otherwise have been doing a commendable job of trying to negotiate with their management but seem lost when it comes to explaining to the public why this industrial action is taking place. Why is it that I, mere SLF, have to detail these kinds of things here based on my recollections of phone conversations with very worried and angry flight crew? Irish Ferries staff were strongly supported by the public in their time but Aer Lingus flight crew are getting blasted for trying to avoid the same thing.
I stand behind these dedicated, professional men and women 100% and I urge you all to do so too. In this day and age as a privatised company, Aer Lingus is not the Irish national carrier any more than Ryanair or Aer Arann. However, the dedication over the last ten years of a majority of the flight crew, cabin crew and ground staff to at ensure the survival of one of the best known Irish brands is a cause for pride, IMHO. That the management of an Irish company would treat it's employees with such contempt and disrespect is a cause for shame.
Here endeth my sermon.
