IMPACT cabin crew members with Aer Lingus received a recommendation from the labour court last week following a dispute over rosters with the airline in 2014, which resulted in a one day stoppage during the June bank holiday weekend. The Labour Court recommendation followed a lengthy engagement in a process to resolve the issues in dispute. The recommendation ( LCR20786(b) is available here.

In a bulletin to cabin crew members, assistant general secretary Michael Landers said “Aer Lingus has written to IMPACT stating that it accepts the latest Labour Court Recommendation. We do not propose putting the recommendation to cabin crew for acceptance as it is, in our view, not a suitable basis for resolving matters.” 

Michael added “This recommendation does not resolve matters and leaves a number of issues outstanding. Principally it does not point to how the issue of a 5:3 roster (three days rest following five days of duty) will be resolved, which is of critical importance.

“Cabin crew often work 13 and 14 hour days, they may not get a lunch break and they work shift work until perhaps midnight. Achieving a 5:3 roster is as much about health and welfare of the crew as anything else” he said.

Michael added that the branch now needs to go into negotiations with Aer Lingus. “We need to make it clear to them that we must emerge with a clear path to a 5:3 roster. Most other airlines have some variation of this roster for example Aer Arann, British Airways and Easy Jet.

 “We will be convening a general meeting of the branch on Monday (30th March) in Dublin and other meetings will be arranged for Cork and Shannon.  I urge all members to attend in order to discuss the implications of this recommendation and to decide the best way forward. The branch committee is considering all options, including further industrial action” he said.