None
01. jul 2024

FÍA supports Aer Lingus pilot group

FIA supports Aer Lingus pilot group

The IALPA members who work for Aer Lingus have been in collective bargaining negotiations with their employer for around 22 months. The talks have not brought the expected results, and therefore Aer Lingus pilots started short strike action on 29 June. It has not been possible to recover the quality of life and wage cuts caused by the COVID 19 pandemic.

FÍA sent them a statement of support on the eve of the strike,see below:

June 24th 2024

Dear Mark Tighe CC: Sebastian Curras

This letter is written on behalf of the members and board of the Icelandic Airline Pilots Association (FIA) and fully reflects our combined opinion on the matters at hand.

Regarding the issue of the Aer Lingus pilot group and the Aer Lingus management.

As the pilot group has consistently worked to ensure the continued operational stability of the airline during the Covid pandemic and indeed has taken unprecedented cut in life and working conditions and undertaken extraordinary operational flexibility to ensure continuity, it is inexplicable that now the airline is in resurgence that the management would not seek to readdress this imbalance and work with the pilot’s group to find a mutually acceptable outcome.

The voluntary and generous measures that many members took during the Covid pandemic to secure the futures of their respective airlines is not to be used as a means of now downgrading their contracts or conditions to a new low. This kind of management strong arm technique is an opportunistic and disgraceful tactic, especially given the very significant efforts and degradation in living/work standards that the crews endured to secure the airlines continuity.

We, the Icelandic Airline Pilots Association (FIA) are fully in support of IALPA working to secure a mutually acceptable outcome and if necessary, any industrial action that is needed in support of this effort.

The Icelandic Airline Pilots Association (FIA), are committed to working with IALPA to ensure that all members can expect and receive the right to open and constructive negotiations. It is clearly not an effective solution for any management group to dismiss, out of hand, any sensible negotiations by their employees.

With best regards,

Jonas Gudmundsson

Director of International Affairs

Icelandic Airline Pilots Association