Trade unions to seek ‘significant’ pay rise from Aer Lingus with joint claim

Trade unions that represent staff at Aer Lingus agreed to a centralised pay claim. Photo: Niall Carsons/PA

Fearghal O'Connor

Trade unions at Aer Lingus have agreed to lodge a joint pay claim with the airline, hoping to emulate generous pay rises received by staff at sister airline British Airways.

A meeting of the various trade unions that represent staff at Aer Lingus last week agreed that “a centralised pay claim would be lodged with Aer Lingus seeking a significant pay increase for our members”, according to a memo sent to ground staff at the airline by trade union Siptu.

The trade unions agreed that each could pursue “other matters relevant to their members to the pay discussions”.

“We are awaiting a date from the company on which to meet to pursue the pay claim and will keep you updated as events unfold,” said the Siptu memo to its members.

Ground staff at the airline are largely represented by Siptu, while cabin crew and pilots are represented by Forsa.

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Last month, about 16,000 ground staff at British Airways, which like Aer Lingus is owned by IAG, received pay hikes of about 13pc after a stand-off between management and check-in agents who had threatened strike action.

Staff at Aer Lingus are also awaiting word on the timing and manner of a €1,700 once-off payment from the airline that they are due to receive in return for voting in favour of a work practice agreement as part of the airline’s Covid recovery plan.

The airline is believed to be awaiting the Budget to see if expected changes for the threshold for tax payments on gift cards is changed. The Government has previously hinted that it was looking at the possibility of increasing the €500 limit to €1,000 in Budget 2023. Aer Lingus had promised staff it would make the payments “in the most tax-efficient way”.

Meanwhile, a similar pay round is under way at airport authority DAA and unions are understood to be examining a pay proposal from management. Pay rates became a hot topic among younger staff during the summer as DAA sought to overcome staff shortages that had hampered its baggage security operations in particular.

Management is understood to have already signalled its intention to engage in a process to secure an 18-month pay agreement that will be backdated to last April.

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