From RTE.ie 18/01/2011
Aer Lingus was forced to cancel a number of flights today as the dispute over cabin crew rosters escalated.
Around 50 cabin crew were instructed to attend individual meetings with management after refusing to work new rosters introduced yesterday by management without union agreement.
Staff say the rosters exceeded existing agreements and an arbitration, and would impose undue hardship.
The airline has confirmed that 32 cabin crew members have been removed from the payroll and that 86 cabin crew members have refused to operate the new schedules so far.
Staff union IMPACT says they were prepared to work their conditions of employment as were in place on the old rosters.
As a result of the dispute, the EI 125 to Chicago and EI 104 from New York to Dublin were cancelled, while two other routes - EI 105 to New York and EI 594 and EI 595 to and from Madrid - operated with planes hired in from other companies.
The airline has announced that the following flights will be cancelled tomorrow:
EI 650 and EI 651 to and from Frankfurt
EI582 and EI 583 to and from Malaga
EI 594 and EI595 to and from Madrid
EI 606 and EI 607 to and from Amsterdam
EI 176 and EI 177 to and from London Heathrow
Further cancellations cannot be ruled out and passengers are advised to check the Aer Lingus website for further updates.
Aer Lingus insists it is entitled to introduce the new rosters under the terms of the Greenfield cost reduction plan, which 93% of cabin crew accepted in a ballot.
In a statement Aer Lingus said: 'The sole responsibility for these cancellations, and the corresponding disruption to customers travel plans, lies with IMPACT trade union members who continue to take industrial action despite 15 months of negotiation, agreement, clarification, conciliation and binding arbitration.'
They say every other grade has fully implemented Greenfield reforms.