From a Southern Irish Newspaper
AIRLINE travellers may face more holiday misery as the fragile negotiations between Aer Lingus and its pilots have hit a major stumbling block, after the airline rejected the pilots' latest set of proposals.
Aer Lingus and its pilots have been involved in stilted negotiations since late August, when pilots suspended plans for a two-day strike.
That strike notice was prompted by pilots' opposition to the terms on offer for pilots at a new Aer Lingus base in Belfast, and unions have used the negotiations to push for major changes to those Belfast offers.
Resolution looked close on Tuesday, when pilots' union Ialpa sent Aer Lingus management proposals for employment at the Belfast base.
But Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion yesterday wrote to pilots and dismissed those proposals in their entirety, branding them unworkable and too costly and noting that they presented "no basis for resolution".
The development could have serious implications for the travelling public, as the pilots' strike notice remains in place, which means Aer Lingus' fleet can be grounded at just a week's notice.
Ialpa boss Evan Cullen said he could not comment on the union's next move until he had spoken to Ialpa's governing committee, many of whom are travelling this weekend. Mr Cullen added that a formal response would "probably come on Monday or Tuesday".
The difference between Aer Lingus and Ialpa centre on the terms pilots will work under.
Aer Lingus plans to employ pilots under terms and conditions that are more flexible than those in Dublin, while Ialpa's plans include giving Dublin pilots some special allowances for working in Belfast, and giving Belfast pilots similar terms and conditions to their colleagues in Dublin.
"What Ialpa proposed is an arrangement whereby not only are existing restrictive practices applied to Belfast operations but new ones are developed to supplement them," said Mr Mannion.
Unpalatable
A proposal about Aer Lingus paying some hotel expenses for Dublin pilots that travelled to Belfast is understood to have been particularly unpalatable.
Aer Lingus wants to recruit pilots on the open market, while Ialpa's proposals would see all captain slots filled from the Dublin ranks.
"The Ialpa proposals are designed to circumvent employment law in Northern Ireland, maximise Ialpa's ability to interfere with business decisions and ensure Belfast operations are restricted in terms of productivity, cost-effectiveness and flexibility," said Mr Mannion.
"Ialpa are asking us not to create a base, but a contrived and convoluted operation, whereby protection for current pilots is measured in terms of the inefficiency of the Belfast operation," he added.
Mr Mannion finished his letter by saying he would welcome a meeting with Ialpa, if there was a "genuine willingness from Ialpa to resolve these matters".