Aer Lingus pilots, who are members of the Irish Airline Pilots' Association (IALPA), have once again voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, up to and including strike action.
Members voted 99% in favour (on a turnout of 89%) in a paper, in-person ballot that was conducted over the weekend.
IALPA president Captain Mark Tighe said in a statement that the result of the second ballot was "an incredible reaffirmation of our mandate for industrial action in pursuit of a meaningful pay offer".
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"It is unconscionable that an employer would attempt to undermine our members' democratic and constitutional right to vote for industrial action. The effect of Aer Lingus management’s intervention last week has served only to further antagonise pilots. They are now more determined than ever," he added.
In a statement, Aer Lingus said it noted the outcome of the paper ballot supporting industrial action.
"Any decision by IALPA to now serve notice of industrial action would be entirely unnecessary and would result in significant disruption to the airline's customers and to other employees," the airline said.
"IALPA has rejected the outcomes of two independent processes which have sought to resolve the issue of pilot pay in Aer Lingus - the Pilot Pay Tribunal Report and the interim recommendation of the Labour Court."
"Following these rejections by IALPA, Aer Lingus has offered to continue to engage in meaningful direct discussions with IALPA and to request the support of the Workplace Relations Commission in order to further explore solutions. As of now, both of these offers have been rejected by IALPA," the company said.
Last week, IALPA members also voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action via electronic ballot.
However, Aer Lingus raised a question about the validity of the electronic poll.
IALPA said there was no question about the integrity of the vote, but rather than spending weeks in court arguing about it, the union instead conducted a paper ballot over the weekend.
Pilots were able to vote at polling stations in Dublin and Cork since Friday morning. The ballot closed at 11am this morning and votes were counted this afternoon.
On Friday, Aer Lingus expressed concerns about the speed at which the in-person ballot was being conducted and said it may communicate these concerns to IALPA.
The airline said it had queried the validity of the original electronic ballot, having regard to the statutory requirements for secrecy and the provisions of the IALPA constitution.
Aer Lingus has asked IALPA for at least 15 days' notice if pilots are planning to strike. The union is required to give a minimum of seven days' notice.
IALPA has claimed that 15 days would allow Aer Lingus to avoid paying compensation to passengers, but the airline said it is seeking the additional time to minimise the impact on customers.
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Talks end without agreement
Talks between management and pilots at Aer Lingus ended without agreement on Thursday evening.
IALPA members have voted overwhelmingly to reject a Labour Court recommendation that pilots should receive pay increases totalling 9.25% as part of an interim settlement.
The figure was well below the 23.8% that the pilots had been seeking.
Aer Lingus has described the level of increases being demanded as exorbitant, outrageous and untenable.
IALPA said previous pay offers do not reflect the impact of inflation, the large profits made by Aer Lingus, or the sacrifices made by pilots during the pandemic to save the company.
Aer Lingus has accused IALPA of failing to engage in various independent processes responsibly and claimed that the union's stance risks investment, growth and jobs in the airline.
The airline said it has lost the opportunity to secure two new Airbus aircraft from its parent IAG due to the uncertainty caused by the ongoing pay dispute.
