The Labour Court has intervened tonight in the strike action by Aer Lingus clerical staff and general operatives. The strike grounded the majority of flights today for the second time in a fortnight. The Chairman of the court has invited Aer Lingus management and SIPTU, the union representing the clerical staff, to talks at 10am on Monday. More than 160 Aer Lingus flights into and out of the country were cancelled today because of the one-day strike by 3,000 SIPTU clerical and general operatives. Some 20,000 passengers were forced to make alternative arrangements as a result of the cancellations.
Aer Lingus is to hold a special board meeting next Monday to consider its trading position in the context of the foot and mouth crisis and the continuing cycle of industrial unrest at the airline. The Minister for Public Enterprise, Mary O'Rourke, is to be briefed next week on the worsening industrial climate at Aer Lingus, following the meeting on Monday.
Another strike is scheduled for Thursday next, the start of one of the busiest Bank Holiday weekends of the year. The company has underlined the impact of the continuing cycle of industrial unrest on its balance sheet. Foot and mouth has resulted in a 20% drop in traffic from the UK and continental Europe during March and a £4 million drop in revenue for the same month. That, combined with costs of £20 million for a range of pay deals and up to £10 million for the current cycle of strikes, has led to a situation which could not and would not be allowed to continue, a spokesman said. SIPTU says that its commitment to the company has been proved in difficult circumstances. It says that the strike could have been avoided.
