Labour Court using powers under Industrial Relations Act in attempt to break deadlock between Aer Lingus and pilots

The Labour Court is using powers it has under the Industrial Relations Act 1990 in its latest effort to break the deadlocked Aer Lingus pilots’ pay dispute. Following nine hours of talks on Monday, the court told the company and the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (Ialpa), part of trade union Fórsa, that it would exercise its power under section 26(5) of the Act to formally intervene in the row which has prompted the cancellation of almost 400 flights. That provision allows the court to sidestep the normal process, where the two parties ask it to intervene, and decide itself that there are grounds to step in to “investigate” an industrial dispute. Normally, employers and unions attempt to resolve disputes through their own procedures, then go to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). If this does not work, they jointly ask the Labour Court to deal with the issue. In this case, the court has decided not to wait for a joint referral and to instead intervene to find a solution. That involves both parties filing submissions by close of business on Tuesday before attending a one-day hearing on Wednesday.<br/>