THE DISPUTE BETWEEN management and trade union staff at Aer Lingus continues today, with the cancellation of 34 scheduled flights.

The cancellations are expected to affect about 2,700 passengers due to travel between Dublin, the UK and continental Europe. Flights from Cork and Shannon have not been affected and flights to the US are also continuing as scheduled.

Yesterday, 10 flights were cancelled after 32 cabin crew were suspended from work because of their refusal to work to new rosters that the airline attempted to impose on Monday. A further 50 staff were asked to meet with management over their issue.

Aer Lingus said that the “sole responsibility” for the cancellations laid with the Impact trade union. The airline said that union members had voted in favour of the Greenfield agreement – which outlined that staff would have to work 850 annual block hours.

However, Impact says the rosters that the airline is attempting to impose are in contravention of the Greenfield agreement, and that staff are being made to work for eight hours without meal breaks. Impact says that cabin crew are prepared to work their agreed conditions of employment – their old rosters.

Check the Aer Lingus website for travel information.