ASL Airlines is a major European distributor for companies including Amazon, FedEx, DHL and UPS. It employs about 300 pilots.
The string of strikes will pose a headache for ASL’s delivery firm clients in the busy final run-up to Christmas, when parcel services are under intense pressure.
The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) said its members have served notice of a third strike, for the days leading up to Christmas.
Ialpa pilots at the airline will take part in a 16-hour strike tomorrow beginning at 5pm with pickets taking place outside their Dublin headquarters and at the ASL Leipzig office.
Further strikes will take place on Thursday for 16 hours along with a new strike planned from 5pm on Monday, 22 December, to midnight on December 24.
A strict work to rule is also due to commence on Monday, 22 December, the pilot union said.
On Friday, ASL asked for strike action to be suspended pending talks. Pilots have refused to agree to that but both sides will attend the WRC tomorrow at 10.30am.
ASL Airlines last week wrote to Ialpa asking the union to accept an invitation to talks in the WRC, and to suspend its strike notice to allow talks to proceed to a resolution.
While the pilots union will attend the talks it has refused to suspend the industrial action.
Ialpa vice-president Captain Daniel Langan said: “The WRC has requested that Ialpa and ASL engage under its conciliation service with an aim to resolving the dispute prior to industrial action taking place.
“Our members have engaged with the company in good faith for weeks with the clear aim of securing a recognition agreement and beginning negotiations on a collective labour agreement. Instead of engaging, ASL has chosen to walk away from the table multiple time, we welcome the intervention of the WRC and hope to find resolution for our members.”
ASL handles air freight services for Amazon Prime Air in Europe, and also for the online retail giant in India via a joint venture, using Boeing 737-800 jets that have been converted from passenger use to freight.
The company is owned by UK-based private equity group Star Capital.
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.
Pilots said they have been left with no option but to take industrial action after the company refused to meet with the union’s elected negotiating team.
ASL Airlines has said that it engaged extensively with Ialpa on the issues, but believes an impasse has been reached that required WRC intervention to resolve.
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