Aer Lingus pilots’ pay row bound for WRC

Aer Lingus pilots will take their case for a pay increase to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) following a proposal from the company this week. Members of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) in Aer Lingus voted overwhelmingly against an 8.5% increase tabled by an internal company tribunal two weeks ago. Capt Mark Tighe, the union’s president, wrote on Friday to Adrian Dunne, Aer Lingus COO, agreeing to a proposal that the sides go to the WRC, the State industrial relations body that adjudicates on disputes. Capt Tighe’s letter adds that, based on Aer Lingus’s decision to refer the issue to the commission, the union assumes the company is willing to make “a meaningful offer above what has already been rejected”. He points out that this should include full restoration of pre-pandemic terms and conditions, and take account of inflation and pilot pay increases throughout the industry.<br/>