Negotiation is key to solving pension dispute - Varadkar

With the Government pressing for resumption of negotiations to settle the pensions dispute at Aer Lingus, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar said today that "discussions" were under way to facilitate a fresh effort to tackle the problem.

Speaking alongside Tanaiste Eamon Gailmore at an event in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr Varadkar said "give and take" would be required from all parties.

“I think it’s fair to say that the Government always takes the threat of strike action very seriously. There is a solution that can be found to this problem but as the Tanaiste said it’s going to require negotiations and a bit of give and take from both sides,” Mr Varadkar said.

"It's already been to the Labour Court. There are discussions under way as to whether we can find some sort of a process to allow negotiations to restart. I think everyone will accept that strike action isn't going to solve this problem. Negotiation will."

Mr Gilmore said disputes in the workplace should be resolved by negoation. “I think that strike action, industrial action, should always be a last resort and I would hope and I would encourage, all of those who are involved in this issue to sit down around a table and resolve the issues so that there would not be a disruption to the travelling public.”

This morning Christoph Mueller, chief executive at Aer Lingus, said that the absence of progress on pension matters at the airline had inhibited developments on several other key matters last year, adding that the airline's proposal to address funding difficulties in the IASS "represents a viable solution, which is in the interests of all parties".