Aer Lingus staff - who have been stripped from the payroll after refusing to comply with controversial roster arrangements - are now facing the sack.

The dispute at the part state owned flyer has been becoming increasingly bitter as cabin crew face increasing pressure to sign up to new roster arrangements, which the union representing staff claim is in breach of prior agreements.

Although it does not affect NI-based staff - who are on a different contract -the loss of some 175 staff who have now been taken off the payroll in a row over the introduction of the new rostering system at the airline is hitting services from the Irish Republic hard.

Yesterday, the Impact trade union called on Aer Lingus management to come clean about how much it is spending on hiring aircraft and crews while sending their existing "willing cabin crew" home, leaving its own expensive assets lying idle.

The union estimated that the cost of the airline hiring Ryanair planes and using temporary worker could currently be running at over €400,000 a day – but that could be much more if aircraft and crews were hired for transatlantic flights.

Last week the airline was forced to cancel several flights, affecting the travel plans of over two thousand people, but has managed to operate all flights since by using contingency arrangements.

Managers at the airline said they are to begin a disciplinary process, holding a series of one to one meetings with staff in a bid to get them to sign up to work the new rosters.

If workers do not agree to new arrangements, they could ultimately be sacked.

An Imoact spokesperson said staff and shareholders were paying a huge price for management's misguided actions.

"By any standards, the cost of management's actions are completely disproportionate to the issues that remain in dispute – just 20 flying hours a year, or less than half an hour a week.

"We are challenging management to come clean and release verified figures on how much money it is wasting and the extent to which this will damage the bottom line when the next quarterly and annua figures are published," he said.

(DW)