Aer Lingus pilot pay row heading for Labour Court

Aer Lingus pilots pledged to continue seeking a pay increase of more than 20% as their dispute with the airline looked destined for the Labour Court. The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) and Aer Lingus agreed to refer the pay row to the court after talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ended without resolution this week. A message to members from Ialpa president, Captain Mark Tighe, confirmed that the union had sought an increase of 23.88% to cover inflation and the fact that pilots’ last pay rise was in 2019. Capt Tighe pledged that the union’s executive would continue to pursue “a pay increase that will be acceptable to the pilot body”. Aer Lingus said on Wednesday that pilots sought increases significantly higher than 12.25% over three years that a company pay tribunal offered in December, which most other staff accepted. The airline said the pilots’ union’s “failure to engage in the WRC process in a responsible manner risks investment, growth and jobs” at Aer Lingus.<br/>