[Article] Aer Lingus cabin crew defer Monday's strike

Victor

Aer Lingus crews to go ahead with strikes
From:ireland.com
Monday, 20th October, 2003

Aer Lingus cabin crew are to go ahead with bank holiday industrial action after a hearing at the Labour Court yesterday failed to end a dispute with management.

The two 24-hour work stoppages by 1,000 Impact union crew members will take place next Thursday, October 23rd, and Monday, October 27th, possibly causing severe disruption to thousands of passengers.

Aer Lingus is refusing to pay cabin crew an outstanding 4 per cent increase under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) unless they offer the greater productivity it is seeking.

The airline wants staff to sell food and drinks on board, to make quicker aircraft "turnarounds" and to start work earlier in return for the PPF payment.

In a statement the airline said it was disappointed with the union's decision "despite an eight-hour hearing in the Labour Court.

"Impact refused the Court's request to suspend the strike threat to give consideration to its recommendation to settle the dispute."

Aer Lingus maintained it would keep flights going and said it would be publishing schedule details.

Last week, talks broke down in the Labour Court, but both parties agreed to return to the negotiating table following the intervention of the National Implementation body late last week.

Impact members have been operating a work-to-rule since the start of September. Although the airline says it has had "virtually no effect," some flights have been cancelled and others delayed.

Borzoi

Whatever about the rights and wrongs of the dispute, management seem to be coping.

I got an email today witha revised flight time for my return flight from Heathrow on Thursday

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/1712303?view=Eircomnet

Aircraft hired to limit Aer Lingus strike
From:ireland.com
Tuesday, 21st October, 2003

Aer Lingus plans to hire more than 20 aircraft this Thursday and again on Monday in an attempt to prevent widespread disruption to thousands of passengers.

More than 20,000 passengers are booked to fly with the airline on Thursday but strike action by cabin crew could jeopardise the 200 scheduled flights, of which 26 have been cancelled.

The cabin crew are members of Impact and are objecting to new roster arrangements. The union is also threatening to take strike action this Bank Holiday Monday when more than 20,000 passengers are due to travel.

The hiring of more than 20 aircraft from other airlines around Europe could escalate the dispute, but a spokesman said last night that the company was determined passengers would only face very limited disruption.

The hiring of the aircraft could be very costly, with a likely charge of up to €500,000 for Thursday alone. Aer Lingus has previously hired aircraft from charter carrier Futura Air and the Spanish carrier Spanair.

Mr Shay Coady, of Impact, said a Labour Court recommendation was expected this week, and the union's executive would study it closely. If it was positive a fresh ballot might have to be held.

Meanwhile, Aer Rianta unions, who served two weeks' strike notice have threatened strike action beginning on November 4th with a two-hour stoppage. The unions say rolling industrial action is likely if the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, does not agree to talks under an independent chairman.

Mr Brennan has rejected trade union demands to abandon his plan to break up the three Aer Rianta airports. Mr Brennan's spokesman said the plan had been endorsed by the Government, and was not open to review.

Victor

Bank holiday battle looms as airline defies strike
From:The Irish Independent
Tuesday, 21st October, 2003
Gerald Flynn Industrial Correspondent

AIR passengers face three days of disruption over the next two weeks as aviation unions plan a range of strikes at Aer Lingus and the Aer Rianta airport authority.

Cabin crew, who are members of Impact, are determined to press ahead with a strike on Thursday and another on Bank Holiday Monday despite Labour Court pleas to defer the action. The 1,000 staff are angry over proposed roster changes, as part of a productivity deal, which they say are too onerous.

For months they have been resisting proposals for faster turnaround of flights including operating a pay bar and tidying discarded newspapers from seats. Aer Lingus management claim that 14 other groups have accepted similar changes including pilots and SIPTU cabin crew.

The airline was defiant last night. It said most of its services would operate on Thursday albeit with some timetable changes.

Last year management faced down a pilots' strike which quickly petered out and it believes can achieve similar success against the Impact threat.

But trouble is brewing on a second front. Aer Rianta unions - SIPTU, Impact, TEEU, Amicus and Mandate - plan to add to the aviation chaos with a two-hour stoppage at Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports on November 4 as part of their campaign against government policy to break-up the state airport authority.

Yesterday the Aer Rianta group of unions met to consider their much-postponed threats of action in opposition to plans by Transport Minister Seamus Brennan to restructure the state airports' authority into three, stand-alone operating companies.

Four months ago the unions, especially the TEEU craftworkers, were threatening to switch off landing lights and disrupt fire-fighting services in a demand for a review of Mr Brennan's proposals. They are now planning to issue two-weeks strike notice of a two-hour work stoppage on November 4.

Last night Mick Halpenny of SIPTU said, on behalf of the unions, that "in view of the minister's failure to engage in consultation we find ourselves with no option other than to resort to a campaign of industrial action, which has been approved overwhelmingly by our members in a secret ballot vote. No action will take place until Tuesday, November 4.

"This affords the minister a further two weeks to respond in a reasonable manner. Failing this industrial action will take place in all three airports - Dublin, Cork and Shannon and this will be followed by a rolling campaign involving various types of action," Mr Halpenny added.

TEEU regional secretary, Arthur Hall has called on the Taoiseach Mr Ahern "to replace Mr Brennan with a more constructive and less confrontational person. Mr Brennan seems to confuse dictation with consultation and conflict with co-operation."

Mr Brennan has told Aer Rianta union leaders that he is forging ahead with three new airport boards and that since he is not privatising Aer Rianta the unions have no case to oppose government policy. Last week Mr Brennan appointed a new board for Shannon airport and left open four seats for union representatives, if they want them.

Airport union chiefs appear reluctant to use their industrial muscle and yesterday they even appealed to the National Implementation Body to become involved and increase pressure on Mr Brennan. The NIB is an ad hoc group supposed to salvage the 'social partnership' Sustaining Progress pay deal and its pledges of industrial peace and stability.

Victor

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Union says Aer Lingus should negotiate change
From:ireland.com
Tuesday, 21st October, 2003

The IMPACT trade union representing Aer Lingus cabin crew said this morning Thursday's strike could be called off if management was prepared to negotiate change instead of trying to impose it.

The strike is over the company's refusal to pay wage increases worth 7 per cent, most of which was due for payment over a year ago.

The union says the company is seeking unacceptable and disproportionate changes to work practices in exchange for the money.

Ms Chris Carney, an IMPACT official representing the workers, said the parties were close to agreement when management introduced new demands

"We were close to agreement on the issues that management had tabled when it introduced new demands that would mean cabin crew doing more flights, losing meal breaks and losing money," she said.

Ms Carney also accused Aer Lingus of demonising cabin crew and says cabin crew have been instrumental in the turn-around Aer Lingus has recently experience in its financial affairs.

Among the concessions over the past two yeas, she says, were 600 cabin crew redundancies, the voluntary lay-off of Shannon cabin crew in winter, the loss of annual pay increments worth up to €850 a year, and the deferral of 5.5 per cent pay increase under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.

However, Aer Lingus has said that it is optimistic that it can keep flights running as normal on Thursday as extra capacity on some flights would be able to cater for those people scheduled on flights affected by the strike.

Earlier this morning, Mr Seamus Kearney, Chief Operations Officer of Aer Lingus, detailed 26 scheduled for flights on Thursday that the company expected to be hit by the strike.


Mr Kearney insisted, however, that the proposed changes in payscales and productivity would be introduced. The affected flights on Thursday are mainly on transatlantic and European routes.

Over 20,000 people are expected to use Aer Rianta airports on Thursday in the run-up to the bank holiday weekend.

star gazer

It looks even less likely that anyone would want to buy this company, not with the unions so willing to go on strike. The management can't be great either to let things go out of hand like this. One thing a commuter/tourist wants is dependability, without a reputation for dependibility a transport company is doomed, even with lower prices.

Sarsfield

Originally posted by star gazer
It looks even less likely that anyone would want to buy this company, not with the unions so willing to go on strike. The management can't be great either to let things go out of hand like this. One thing a commuter/tourist wants is dependability, without a reputation for dependibility a transport company is doomed, even with lower prices.

Sometimes management has to bite the bullet and stand up to the unions. Otherwise it would be postponing even worse problems. FWIW, I think Aer Lingus management has done a pretty good job with the airline in recent times. That it has managed to survive and turn a decent profit during a horrendous time for the industry is testament to that.

star gazer

Sometimes management has to bite the bullet and stand up to the unions.
Sarsfield

and vica versa... i look at it in the sense that the government interferes with the running of these companies indirectly, whether naming the board of directors or TDs wanting a route in their area. The government manages to undermine both sides and only ever seems to want to sway with public opinion, not good business sense(incl. treating workers well).

Nor wanting to appear cynical (too late) Aer Lingus have a habit of making a huge loss every once in a while and suddenly coming back into profit the next year. Maybe aer lingus has bipolar disorder.

Victor

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Recommendation on Aer Lingus strike this evening
From:ireland.com
Friday, 24th October, 2003

A Labour Court recommendation that could lead to the suspension of strike action by over 1,000 cabin crew at Aer Lingus will be released this evening.

The Labour Court has confirmed the recommendation of its chairman Mr Finbar Flood, in relation to the dispute between IMPACT members and the company, will be released to the two parties in the coming hours.

IMPACT has accused Aer Lingus of trying to impose productivity changes on cabin crew that would result in them losing money. Aer Lingus have refused to pay a 4 per cent pay increase due last since October until the matter is settled.

The trade union has indicated it will consider deferring a second 24-hour strike when it receives Mr Flood's recommendation.

IMPACT official Ms Christina Carney yesterday said: "This strike need not have happened. We told Aer Lingus last weekend that we were prepared to negotiate roster changes. But the company chose to vilify its loyal workforce instead."

Meanwhile, Aer Lingus said today it would operate a "close to full schedule" of flights when the next stoppage dueon Monday.

However, flights on the Dublin-Shannon-Washington route, and between Dublin and Frankfrut, Brussels, Dusseldorf and Paris as well as between Cork and Amsterdam will be disrupted.

Aer Lingus also said flights to Britain may be rescheduled but not cancelled. Customers can contact the reservations department at 0818-65000.

During yesterday's strike by 1,000 cabin crew members of the IMPACT union, the company said it carried about 18,500 of the 20,000 passengers due to fly. Others were accommodated on alternative services or accepted refunds.

The crews mounted pickets at Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports yesterday. However, a recommendation from the Labour Court is awaited and the union has indicated it will reconsider its position when it receives the report.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by star gazer
and vica versa... i look at it in the sense that the government interferes with the running of these companies indirectly, whether naming the board of directors or TDs wanting a route in their area. The government manages to undermine both sides and only ever seems to want to sway with public opinion, not good business sense(incl. treating workers well).

Nor wanting to appear cynical (too late) Aer Lingus have a habit of making a huge loss every once in a while and suddenly coming back into profit the next year. Maybe aer lingus has bipolar disorder.

Its a semi state company, its not run like a real company. Trying to apply normal business logic to it is pointless. At the moment the company is trying to break the unions, and perhaps devalue the company for some other reason that will become clear in a year or so when somebody makes a great big wad out of it. Will it one of the cabin crew or the union people? Of course not.

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/1748165?view=Eircomnet

Aer Lingus cabin crew may call off Monday's strike
From:ireland.com
Saturday, 25th October, 2003

A planned strike by Aer Lingus cabin crew on Monday looked likely to be called off last night after a Labour Court recommendation was issued.

The union involved, IMPACT, will hold an emergency meeting of its cabin crew committee this morning to decide whether to go ahead with the strike.

The most likely scenario is that it will put the court's recommendation to a ballot of the union's 1,000 cabin crew members and postpone Monday's action.

More than 20,000 passengers are due to fly with Aer Lingus on the final day of the bank holiday weekend. Even if the strike goes ahead, the airline says it will provide close to a full schedule of services, with just 17 out of 200 flights due to be cancelled. Alternative arrangements are being made for the passengers affected, it says.

In addition to the threatened disruption on Monday, a number of transatlantic flights from Dublin and Shannon tomorrow have been moved to earlier times.

The Labour Court recommendation, arising from talks between the parties last Sunday, was issued at about 8 p.m. last night. IMPACT spokesman Mr Bernard Harbor said the cabin crew committee would give it "serious and thorough consideration".

"Hopefully around lunchtime we'll be giving a response to it."

The dispute is over changes to cabin crews' work practices in return for a delayed 4 per cent pay increase.

The court's recommendation is understood to be lengthy and focuses on the issue at the centre of the row, the airline's demand that staff rosters accommodate 25-minute aircraft "turnaround times" at airports. The court recommends that fixed turnaround times be implemented but that the matter be reviewed after three months to assess the impact on staff.

Two previous Labour Court recommendations on wider productivity issues have already been rejected by the union.

A new recommendation, however, would almost certainly have to be put to members in a ballot.

If the cabin crew committee decides to adopt that course today, it would be under intense pressure to call off Monday's action.

An Aer Lingus spokesman, Mr Dan Loughrey, said the recommendation would be considered by the airline's management and its board at its next scheduled meeting on Thursday. He urged the union to call off all its industrial action, including a work-to-rule which has been in place since September 1st.

It was unclear last night what effect a decision to call off the strike would have on Monday's services, given that Aer Lingus is already committed to hiring in aircraft and crew to maintain schedules.

A spokeswoman for the airline said it would not speculate on its likely response to a decision to cancel the strike.

"We're under strike threat and we're working on the basis that there will be a strike. If the situation changes, we will respond at that stage."

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Aer Lingus cabin crew defer Monday's strike
From:ireland.com
Saturday, 25th October, 2003

Representatives of cabin crew employees at Aer Lingus have decided to defer Monday's one-day strike over pay while they consider a Labour Court recommendation issued last night.

The more than 1,000 staff staged the first of a planned series of 24-hour stoppages earlier this week, disrupting a number of mainly transatlantic air services.

Aer Lingus condemned IMPACT for failing to call off its work to rule. Last night the Labour Court conciliators made recommendations targeted at getting the latest strike called off.

These were considered by a meeting of IMPACT union officials who represent the cabin crew this morning.

In a statement this afternoon IMPACT said the committee also noted the court's requirement for the company and union to finalise agreement on issues arising from previous Labour Court recommendations.

"The Committee will seek clarification of these matters before any decision is taken on the recommendation. This cannot practically be done before the planned one-day strike on Monday."

"The Committee also confirmed that members will continue to work in accordance with the terms of their contracts. IMPACT will seek meetings with the company and the Labour Court early next week."

The court's proposals centre on the cabin crew workers agreeing to co-operate for a three-month experimental period with procedures allowing for a faster turn-round of Aer Lingus planes at airports as part of the company's plan to transform itself into a low-cost carrier along the lines of its rival Ryanair airline.

That recommendation has been tied to improved pay rates. The airline management will consider the recommendation next week.