So far, so good...
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Last Updated: 21/08/2007 18:51
Aer Lingus talks adjourned to next week
Talks between Aer Lingus management and the airline pilots' union Ialpa at the Labour Relations Commission have been adjourned until next Monday.
The talks started last night hours after the Irish Airline Pilots' Association (Ialpa) branch of the trade union Impact suspended the planned 48-hour strike by pilots for today and tomorrow in a row over the pay and conditions to be offered to pilots based at the airline's new hub in Belfast.
Aer Lingus pilots are optimistic that a solution can be found in the row over job conditions at a new hub in Belfast, they said.
Further talks are scheduled to continue on Thursday and Friday in a bid to resolve the deadlock.
The Irish Airline Pilots' Association (Ialpa), represented by the Impact union, had threatened to halt all Aer Lingus flights today and tomorrow, causing travel chaos to 40,000 passengers.
Impact assistant general secretary Michael Landers, who was joined by six senior pilots at the talks, refused to comment on what was discussed or the conduct of the negotiations.
"Both sides have agreed not to comment on the detail of the talks. Impact is optimistic that a resolution can be reached but we cannot put a timescale on that. A resolution will be reached when it is reached," he said.
Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion attended the first session of talks yesterday evening and was understood to be available today if needed.