Emerald pilots mull management bid to avert strike

Pilots at Aer Lingus Regional operator Emerald Airlines will decide this weekend on accepting a management bid to avert a one-day strike that threatens August bank holiday flights.

Members of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA), part of trade union Fórsa, at Emerald plan to halt work for one day next Friday in a dispute over recognition, pay and conditions.

They were set to meet on Friday night to discuss an invitation from Emerald Airlines management to discuss representation at the airline, made to avert next week’s stoppage.

Emerald operates the Aer Lingus Regional network, connecting airports in Ireland, Britain, France and the Channel Islands.

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Friday’s threatened strike could disrupt these services on the eve of the August bank holiday, one of the summer’s busiest weekends.

It could also affect passengers transferring between the regional routes and flights operated by Aer Lingus itself.

Following Friday’s meeting, union officials will respond to the company’s invitation to meet, which sets a deadline of 12 noon on Saturday, July 29th.

Emerald wrote to IALPA after the union notified it on Thursday of pilots’ intention to halt work for 24 hours from midnight on August 3rd.

The letter makes a cessation of all industrial action a condition of holding talks. IALPA members are already on a strict work-to-rule.

Emerald confirmed in a statement that it had invited the union to talks, saying that this “removed” its members’ need to strike.

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“We therefore expect our operations to be unaffected by this dispute,” the airline added.

Pilots at Friday’s meeting are likely to raise concerns at management’s objection to holding talks with union representatives employed by other airlines.

Some IALPA elected officials work for other carriers. Sources say the union’s position is that pilots around the country elect these individuals to represent their interests.

Aer Lingus said earlier on Friday that it expected Emerald Airlines and IALPA to resolve the industrial dispute.

“Any customers whose flights are likely to be impacted by the industrial action will be contacted directly and provided with options to minimise disruption,” the carrier added.

Emerald has imposed a deadline for acceptance of its invitation as it needs time to make arrangements to mitigate disruption.

Aer Lingus confirmed that it had spoken to both parties. It emerged this month that the company promised IALPA in 2020 that it would require its regional network operator to recognise the union and deal meaningfully with its officials.

Emerald maintains that only one in three of its 160 pilots are IALPA members, while it deals with all staff through an employee representative body that has won significant benefits for all crews.