Pilot unions at Aer Lingus owner vow to work together

Pilot unions at Aer Lingus owner International Airlines’ Group (IAG) have vowed to work together to bolster their conditions across the multinational business in a deal signed on Thursday.

The move comes as the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) and Aer Lingus await a Labour Court recommendation on a pay dispute following hearings that adjourned this week.

Along with the Irish carrier, London-listed IAG owns British Airways and Spanish airlines Iberia and Vueling.

Ialpa, Spanish union Sepla and the British Airline Pilot’s Association (BALPA) signed a declaration of intent to defend and bolster all group pilots’ working conditions. The statement signed by union chiefs at Sepla’s offices says they “do not support” the allocation of new aircraft to any group airline in exchange for pilots agreeing to conditions imposed by their employer.

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Aer Lingus this week conceded that IAG was likely to allocate a new Airbus jet to one of its other airlines as the dispute between the Irish carrier and its pilots remained unresolved.

Luis Gallego, IAG chief executive, warned earlier this year that the group could not expand Aer Lingus’ fleet as planned if it had to agree to the 20 per cent-plus increases sought by pilots as this would hit returns on investment. Ialpa is seeking increases to compensate members for inflation.

Juan Polo, Sepla chief delegate at Iberia, argued on Thursday that pilots must adapt to changes in airline company structures.

“This pioneering international alliance is the pilots’ response to address labour challenges in a truly globalised sector. By sharing resources, experiences and strategies we will work to achieve a fairer and more equitable work environment for our pilots in any country and company of the group.”

Ialpa president Mark Tighe predicted the deal would have a positive effect on IAG pilots’ careers as co-operation between their unions grew stronger. He told Ialpa members in a circular that the organisation would work with fellow IAG pilot unions “to further all our interests and careers”.

Amy Leversidge, BALPA general secretary, said the deal would ensure the collective voice of all group pilots is heard, and that unions could exert greater influence on IAG’s decisions.

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