Hundreds of pilots at Dublin-based carrier are due to strike next week
A union representing pilots at Dublin-based carrier ASL Airlines is willing to attend talks at the Workplace Relations Commission, but is not prepared to suspend strike actions next week while waiting for any such negotiations to begin.
The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) has also asked company management to attend talks this weekend amid on-going efforts to resolve a dispute over pay and conditions at the group.
ASL Airlines is a major European distributor for companies including Amazon, FedEx, DHL and UPS. It employs more than 300 pilots. Any industrial action could hamper delivery schedules for the client companies during the run-up to Christmas.
The company was issued with notice this week by Ialpa, initially of strike action that would take place between Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
The union later issued a second strike action notice to ASL, informing it that pilots would also strike between Thursday and Friday next week.
ASL then urged Ialpa to attend talks at the WRC and in the meantime to suspend the planned strike action.
However, union sources said the strike action will not be suspended while awaiting WRC talks. ASL has also been informed by Ialpa that it reserves the right to escalate its industrial action if it believes it to be necessary.
Ialpa said the strike notice was issued to ASL Airlines following what it said was the company’s refusal to progress long-awaited negotiations on recognition and a collective labour agreement covering pay and conditions.
ASL Airlines said on Friday that it is willing to attend talks at the earliest convenience of the WRC.
The airline company said believes that negotiations on a framework agreement took place in good faith between the it and Ialpa, and that a solution to the current impasse can be found with the assistance of the WRC.
“The airline hopes that conciliation talks in the WRC is the most appropriate way to find a mutually acceptable solution,” the company said in a statement.
However, Ialpa has previously said its members have “no confidence” that ASL management is “serious about resolving this dispute”.
The union said during the week that the company had again failed to attend talks.
“This is the second time this week that ASL management have failed to attend scheduled talks with the union,” said Ialpa vice president, Captain Daniel Langan.
“Industrial action is not something our members take lightly, but ASL’s behaviour has left them with no alternative,” he insisted.
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