The Irish Air Line Pilots' Association (IALPA) has begun balloting its 570 members on a proposed merger with the 32,000-strong IMPACT trade union. The members are expected to vote strongly in support of the merger.
If they do it will significantly increase IMPACT's influence within the aviation industry. The union already represents technical and professional staff, including air traffic controllers, in the Irish Aviation Authority.
The IALPA president, Mr Dermot Moran, says that the Registrar of Friendly Societies, Mr Martin Sisk, gave approval for the merger ballot to go ahead last Thursday. Voting will continue until May 15th and the result will be announced on May 18th.
If the outcome is in favour of a merger, IMPACT's biennial delegate conference on May 21st and 22nd is expected to give formal approval. That would be the first time that IMPACT had negotiated a merger with a union that represents workers in the private sector.
IALPA has pilots in Aer Lingus, Ryanair, Cityjet and TransAer. IMPACT's deputy general secretary, Mr Shay Cody, says that the existing state enterprises division of the union will be reorganised into a services and enterprises division to reflect the union's growing involvement with the private sector.
It also represents professional and technical staff in several former semi-state enterprises, such as Telecom Eireann, which are undergoing radical restructuring.