Unions at Aer Lingus are set to ballot their members on a one-year pay deal for 2026 which would provide about 5,000 staff at the airline with increases of 4 per cent over the course of next year.
Members of Siptu, Fórsa, Connect and Unite would all benefit under the deal which is worth at least €1,280 to the company’s lowest paid workers.
The new proposals arise as a result of a clause in an existing three year deal between Aer Lingus and unions which allowed other employees to return to the table in the event any one cohort obtained more favourable terms than those previously agreed across the company.
That clause was triggered by the settlement in last year’s strike by the airline’s pilots who are represented by the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa), which negotiates separately but is a part of Fórsa, the union representing the majority of cabin crew.
RM Block
The roughly 5,000 non-pilot staff at the company have already received a voucher in lieu of the 1.5 per cent increase Ialpa members received as part of their settlement last year and will now receive a 1.5 per cent increase to pay from the start of next month.
The four per cent for next year is also effectively intended to match the pay aspect of the pilots’ deal.
Under the terms of the proposals to be balloted on by union members, staff would receive an increase of 3 per cent or €960, whichever is greater, on January 1st 2026 with an additional 1 per cent or €320 on July 1st with the deal expiring at the end of the year.
The proposals were first reported by Industrial Relations News and contain a requirement that staff accept certain changes to work practices intended to boost productivity.
This is, again, in line with the deal pilots’ agreement which contained some adjustments to rostering arrangements.
Fórsa has been consulting with members on the changes proposed by the company in relation to cabin crew which are reported to include provisions in relation to trans[Atlantic crewing levels and engagement with technology.
Its officials are meeting early next week to decide on arrangements for a ballot.
Siptu is set to open a ballot next week and conclude it on October 6th with a result due in the days after that.
