Aer Lingus and pilots to begin talks at LRC

The chief executive of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC), Mr Kieran Mulvey, has invited Aer Lingus and the pilots' union IMPACT to exploratory talks on Monday. Both sides have agreed to attend.

IMPACT has served strike notice for February 11th over the company's threat to begin compulsory redundancies unless 80 pilots, said by the company to be surplus to requirement, accept its voluntary severance and early retirement plan. The initial stoppage is for one day, but it could have disastrous implications for the airline if it is seen as heralding the start of a new round of industrial unrest.

The LRC's intervention is being seen as the beginning of what could prove difficult negotiations. Mr Mulvey stressed yesterday that his initial aim was to ascertain the respective positions of the two sides and explore options for further discussions.

In his letter to IMPACT, Mr Mulvey said he wanted to "explore the possibility of the commission's involvement with a view towards achieving a resolution of the dispute".

The LRC drew up the company's survival plan last year and Mr Mulvey is clearly concerned that any discussions on the pilots' redundancy package should remain within the parameters set by the plan.

Should the pilots be perceived by the company's other 6,000 employees to be obtaining better terms, then the whole plan could unravel.

IMPACT general secretary Mr Peter McLoone and deputy general secretary Mr Shay Cody have been involved in intensive contacts with the company over the past couple of days to seek an early hearing on the dispute. The union has offered to lift the strike notice if Aer Lingus withdraws compulsory redundancy notices issued to 10 junior pilots.

Such a move would provide a breathing space for talks, but the company is unlikely to make any move ahead of discussions at the LRC where it will seek some indication that a substantive agreement on the problem of surplus pilots is achievable.

A spokesman yesterday said: "We are happy to accept the LRC's invitation," and noted that the LRC had "already played a key role in the formation of the airline's survival plan in December".