AER LINGUS has reiterated its warnings that it will not pay cabin staff who continue to engage in a work-to-rule when new rosters come into force from today.
The airline and members of the Impact trade union who are cabin crew have been involved in a stand-off for 14 weeks since new rosters were proposed to bring down costs at the airline.
About 800 members of the Impact trade union are engaged in the work-to-rule, with many of them refusing to work certain roster arrangements.
Aer Lingus wrote to them last week, stating that a failure to comply with the new rosters would be a breach of their contract of employment. A continued refusal would result in them being put off duty and removed from the payroll.
Impact spokesman Bernard Harbor confirmed that what he called “low-level industrial action” will continue today, despite the warning.
Impact say its member have accepted they will have to work extra hours in the air, but they have never agreed to new roster arrangements.
Aer Lingus spokesman Declan Kearney said they had spoken to staff and conducted group meetings last week and the situation remained the same.
“Staff are expected to operate the rosters in full. A refusal means they will be sent home without pay,” he said.
Mr Kearney said the industrial action meant cabin crew were not operating the 850 hours agreed under the Greenfield programme, which has sought to contain costs at the airline. Instead, cabin crew hours were closer to an average of 800 hours a year.
