Anxious Wait For Aer Lingus Strike Ballot

The State-owned airline Aer Lingus is today braced for the results of a ballot on possible industrial action.

It has already described the decision to hold a ballot as "deeply regrettable" saying it was "at a loss" in understanding the decision after ten months of talks and two separate ballots.

The trade union Impact announced the ballot late last month over the company's implementation of cost-cutting measures including new rosters to increase cabin crew's working time to 850 hours a year.

Impact has accused the company of breaching agreements, acting unilaterally, and of seeking excessive changes for staff.

However, Aer Lingus are saying cabin crew had already voted by a majority of 93% to accept the Greenfield cost-cutting proposals, which the company is now seeking to implement.

The carrier said it "has the means to deal with every outcome" of the ballot adding that there would be no disruption to travel plans of passengers.

Meanwhile, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has today reported traffic movements in Irish- controlled airspace for July has shown an increase of 5.9% compared to figures for last year.

A spokesman for the authority said this figures meant a continued positive trend during 2010

"This trend of growth has also been mirrored in the analysis of North Atlantic Communications flights, which saw growth of 1% in March, 0.8% in June and 1.3% in July 2010.

"While commercial terminal traffic at the airports continues to decline against comparable figures in 2009, the rate of decline during 2010 has continued to recede during July 2010."

The spokesman added that enroute overflights and North Atlantic Communications Flights had fallen over the period, but these could have seen positive growth for the seven month period if the eruption of the Icelandic Volcano had not occurred.

(DW/BMcC)