Aer Lingus Pilots Announce 48-Hour Strike

Around 500 Aer Lingus pilots have announced plans to hold a 48-hour strike next week, in protest over plans to pay staff at the company's new Belfast operation less than those in the Irish Republic.

The strike is due to be held next Tuesday and Wednesday and is expected to affect all the air routes run by Aer Lingus.

The decision was announced at a meeting of the Irish Airline Pilots' Association at Dublin Airport on Monday.

The move comes after last week's announcement that Aer Lingus will open a new international hub in Belfast, with the creation of 100 jobs, reportedly including 30 pilots.

The move means that the airline's long-standing service between Shannon and Heathrow will cease and it is thought that at least 40 jobs will be lost as a result.

Aer Lingus has attacked the strike plans, calling it an act of "self-centred brinkmanship".

On Tuesday, Ryanair held a press conference in Shannon Airport to announced that it would provide three additional daily flights to London if Aer Lingus proceeded with plans to close its Shannon-Heathrow route.

Ryanair, who have a 25% stake in Aer Lingus, also announced that it had written to the airline requesting an extraordinary general meeting of Aer Lingus to be called, in order to allow all shareholders to exercise their right to request them to reverse their decision to close the Shannon-Heathrow route.

Ryanair's Michael O'Leary said: "Aer Lingus’s rules confirm that any 10% shareholder can ask for an EGM to be called. It is surprising that neither the government nor the trade unions, both of whom own over 10% have taken up Ryanair’s previous offer to work together or called for an EGM to be held. Accordingly and in the interests of retaining a profitable route for the benefit of all Aer Lingus shareholders, Ryanair has asked Aer Lingus to call an EGM and we will be asking the trade unions and Bertie Ahern’s government to support this motion calling for Shannon’s 4 daily flights to Heathrow to be maintained."

(KMcA/SP)