A one-day strike by over 1,000 Aer Lingus cabin crew on 17 October 2000, which stopped almost all flights that day, has been the most visible manifestation of a general unrest throughout most major employee groups in the national airline, most of it over pay or related issues.
In October 2000, Ireland's national airline, Aer Lingus, was grounded by strike action by cabin crew for the first time in 20 years, as part of a wider wave of unrest over pay among most of the company's major employee groups.
A one-day strike by over 1,000 Aer Lingus cabin crew on 17 October 2000, which stopped almost all flights that day, has been the most visible manifestation of a general unrest throughout most major employee groups in the national airline, most of it over pay or related issues.
Clerical staff staged a four-hour stoppage on 27 October 2000 and baggage and catering staff held a series of sporadic two-hour stoppages over a period in late October. All three of these groups, members of the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union (SIPTU), have been engaging in productivity-based pay talks with management for some time. The clerical and catering staff called off strike action planned for 2-3 November 2000 and attended exploratory talks at the Labour Court on 2 November. The baggage-handlers were considering an offer from the company early in November.
Part of the problem with these three groups – as well as the cabin crew - is lower pay scales introduced some time ago for new recruits. With the passage of time, many of staff are now on these lower rates. Meanwhile, the company has become significantly more profitable. However, it is preparing for privatisation through a public share offer early in 2001, making it difficult for it to take a significant cut in profits.
Pilots, members of the Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union (IMPACT), are also claiming a significant pay increase, on the basis of Aer Lingus' membership of the OneWorld airline alliance, which also includes British Airways, American Airlines and Finnair, amongst others. The 500 pilots are refusing to work annual leave days and are claiming similar remuneration packages to those of British Airways pilots, which could mean a 45%-100% pay increase.
The dispute involving the 1,600 cabin crew – in which the substantive issues are pay, "atypical" contracts and early retirement - is further complicated by an inter-union transfer row between SIPTU, which represented all cabin crew up to this year, and IMPACT, which now claims to have 1,400 cabin crew in membership. Proposals aimed at resolving this row have been arrived at under the auspices of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), but these may be subject to a court challenge. Meanwhile, both unions have been discussing the pay and other issues in "parallel" talks at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) conciliation service.
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2000), Aer Lingus workers strike over pay issues, article.
