Aer Lingus pilots to be balloted on Labour Court proposals, union says

Aer Lingus pilots will vote on what will be crucial Labour Court proposals to end their pay row with the company, their trade union leader confirmed on Wednesday. The carrier announced that it would cancel 76 further flights from July 8th to 10th to combat a work-to-rule by members of the Irish Air line Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) as the Labour Court began its fourth bid to resolve the dispute. Both sides said the court would issue a recommendation aimed at brokering industrial peace at the airline “within a few days” following a hearing that lasted more than 3½ hours on Wednesday afternoon. Capt Mark Tighe, Ialpa president, confirmed afterwards that the union would ballot its members in Aer Lingus on any Labour Court recommendation. Before the talks, he warned that pilots would “stand their ground against their employer” if this latest bid to break the deadlock fails. Labour Court recommendations are not binding, so both sides in a dispute can accept or reject them. Ialpa members voted against interim proposals put forward by the court in May.<br/>