Walkout Grounds Aer Lingus Flights
D U B L I N, Oct. 17 -- Irish state airline Aer Lingus grounded its entire fleet today as cabin crew began a 24-hour strike over pay in the worst breakdown of labor relations at the company in more than 20 years.
More than 200 flights were canceled, forcing some 20,000 passengers to reschedule their journeys or switch to other carriers, an Aer Lingus spokesman said.
The stoppage would cost the company around 2 million Irish pounds ($2.2 million), he said, not including the loss of future business from customers wary of further disruption.
Around 1,000 cabin crew are involved in the stoppage which is part of a wider dispute over pay between the company and sections of the workforce including pilots, baggage handlers and clerical staff.
Despite the potential chaos, Dublin airport was quiet as many passengers stayed away. Aer Lingus said a concerted information campaign in the Irish media had helped minimize customer inconvenience.
It was the first time the carrier had been forced to ground planes in 22 years, it added.
The Impact of IMPACT
Cabin crew members staged a picket on the approach road to the airport, holding placards reading “We Work in the Air, We Can’t Live On It,” and “Air Rage On Our Wage.”
The dispute has been complicated by inter-union tensions and problems over union recognition. Aer Lingus says it is ready to talk about money but wants inter-union issues settled first.
IMPACT, the union representing the cabin crew, warned that further industrial action was likely if negotiations did not begin quickly. It said it would meet later this week to review developments and plan its next move.
The union, which is the largest in Ireland’s public sector, told Reuters its members would rather be talking to management than striking, and suggested bringing in the country’s Labor Relations Council to arbitrate.
Aer Lingus, which is gearing up for privatization next year, is also understandably keen to resolve the dispute quickly.
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