Aer Lingus pilots to begin ballot on deal for 17.75% pay rise

Aer Lingus pilots will begin voting on a 17.75% pay rise offer on Thursday in a ballot that could end their dispute with the airline. The vote comes as Aer Lingus services returned to normal on Wednesday following weeks when it cancelled flights to preserve as many services as possible in the face of a work-to-rule by its pilots. The Labour Court last week recommended the offer to the deadlock that sparked two weeks of industrial action at the airline, ultimately forcing the cancellation of about 570 flights, hitting close to 86,000 passengers. Members of the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association, part of trade union Fórsa, will vote between Thursday afternoon and the morning of Tuesday, July 23rd, on the court’s proposal, recommended last week by the organisation’s executive. The union is likely to confirm the result later on Tuesday. A majority of the 760-plus pilots working for Aer Lingus must favour the deal to finally end the dispute, which has its roots in a pay claim that the association lodged with the company in October 2022.<br/>