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PILOTS’ UNION IALPA has agreed to talks with Aer Lingus, beginning tomorrow morning, a spokesperson for the union has confirmed.
A spokesperson stated that IALPA is very open to negotiations, and that any decision lies in the hands of the company.
Speaking on News At One on RTÉ, Aer Lingus’ chief corporate affairs office, Donal Moriarty, said that the company has written to IALPA informing the union that it has a meeting room booked and a time for them to meet.
“We’re waiting on a response to that request,” he said.
Industrial action by Aer Lingus pilots is underway, with 270 flights cancelled so far.
A spokesperson for the Taoiseach welcomed the development today regarding talks between Aer Lingus and IALPA.
“The Taoiseach has been clear this dispute is having a disproportionate impact on the travelling public. All disputes are resolved by compromise and negotiation. The Taoiseach urges both sides to engage in good faith to resolve this dispute,” the spokesperson said.
The Irish Travel Agents Association has also welcomed the news, with CEO Claire Dunne saying: “We are asking them to sit down in a respectful, sensible manner and find the solution that is there to be found.
“Disputes all end sooner or later – it is within their power to make it sooner.”
Members of the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (IALPA) began an indefinite work-to-rule at midnight, with an all-out strike planned for an eight-hour period on Saturday.
Both Aer Lingus and IALPA attended separate meetings with the Labour Court yesterday in a bid to resolve the dispute.
However, the Court said it would not be intervening at this time and would review the matter in July.
Aer Lingus said it was “disappointed” with the Labour Court’s “assessment that it is unable to assist in the dispute at this time”.
The Labour Court previously recommended a 9.25% pay increase for pilots, but this was rejected and IALPA balloted its members on industrial action.
Michael McGrath, who was yesterday named as Ireland’s next European Commissioner, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that it is “concerning” that the Labour Court meetings ended without a “foundation for further engagement”.
He noted that the Labour Court has “tremendous expertise” but that Aer Lingus and IALPA need to “recognise the reality”.
“This dispute is hurting ordinary people, hurting the Irish economy, hurting our reputation,” said McGrath.
“The sooner they sit around the table, the better because the damage is only going to grow and this will be resolved, but does that have to come after a protracted dispute that causes an even greater level of damage? I would hope it doesn’t.”
IALPA is seeking a pay increase of 23.8% over three years, which it says is “clearly reasonable and affordable for a profitable company such as Aer Lingus.”
In 2023, Aer Lingus had a full year operating profit of €225 million.
This was a 400% increase on 2022, when a full year operating profit of €45 million was recorded.
Speaking earlier this week, Aer Lingus’s chief corporate affairs officer Donal Moriarty said the airline is “perfectly willing to engage in proposals that would see their pay increase beyond 12.25%”.
This morning, president of IALPA Mark Tighe said members “do not want to be in this situation” but are there as a result of “corporate greed” on behalf of Aer Lingus.
Aer Lingus is a part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), which includes British Airways.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Tighe said IAG has already offered a 24% pay increase to British Airways’ pilots and that British Airways has a similar operating margin.
Tighe added that is it not IALPA’s “desire” to significantly disrupt passengers and that the industrial action is the “direct result of management actions”.
He also remarked that “everything is on the table” in terms of escalating the industrial action and that the next steps will depend on what Aer Lingus does.
No delays have been reported at Dublin Airport on the first day of industrial action.
An Aer Lingus employee also told The Journal that no passengers have arrived so far for cancelled flights.
Amy and Joby from Cork City are among the Aer Lingus passengers in Dublin Airport today and are flying out to San Diego for a trip they have saved for and looked forward to for some time.
Amy said that while she understands why the pilots are undertaking this action, she thinks it’s a “bit unfair” that customers are feeling the brunt of the impact.
“We were still not sure how it would go today but everything seems normal now that we are here, but we didn’t get any confirmation the flight was going ahead until we got here today,” Amy said.
Meanwhile, Joby told The Journal that he supports the industrial action as Aer Lingus “make enough money” and can “afford to pay people properly”.
“Customers might be affected, but that’s the airlines fault,” he added.
The Irish Travel Agents Association said they have now managed to rebook or arrange refunds for the majority of their customers who have been impacted by cancellations.
Some 270 flights have been cancelled between today and Tuesday 2 July, with around 50 of these cancellations being announced yesterday evening.
However, the industrial action being undertaken is indefinite and could lead to further flight cancellations beyond 2 July.
There is also the possibility that over the coming days, passengers will only be informed of flight cancellations at the departure gate.
He added that this could result in “close-in cancellations caused by pilot unavailability and refusal to work to the contractual flexibility that they have”.
More than 35,000 passengers have been impacted by flight cancellations, but Moriarty said on Monday that Aer Lingus has “managed to re-accommodate, refund or rebook 80%” of these and that work is ongoing to do the same with the rest.
Yesterday, Taoiseach Simon Harris called on both parties to “engage” and “dig deep” rather than “putting people through agony and chaos”.
He said there will be “very little sympathy” for anybody who “puts the travelling public through utter chaos” and causes “families to have their summer holidays cancelled… if they’re not engaging and engaging intensively”.
-With additional reporting from Eimer McAuley
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So it’ll basically be an iPod nano with a strap attached… But twice the price
Not just ANY strap. It’ll be an iStrap.
And it will tell iTime, just like normal time but with an extra 0 on the end because its better.
I’d say its a load of bull. Who wants to charge their watch twice a day?
Nail on the head.
I can’t wait to point and laugh at anybody wearing an iWatch.
Don’t forget that Sony did this about 5 years ago…….so look out Sony, apple gonna sue your ass…….Steve Jobs thought of it while on the toilet 6 years ago
Nah me and countless other kids thought of it way back in the 80′s.
Meh, I haven’t worn a watch since the 1990′s and don’t intend to start again now. Unless it can do something a smartphone can’t there seems little point really. That won’t stop the fanboys queuing up for them though.
What an awful product. It’s an Apple so there are people, mostly hipsters, who will buy it. I can’t wait for the day Apple is finally crushed. 75% of all phone activations are now Android.
Would hipsters not avoid apple products? I thought hipsters hate anything popular? I’m so confused
You need help, ask your grandmother an apple a day keeps the doctor away but I’d say it’s too late in your case.
Hipsters see the watch as outdated. Ergo they will embrace it and ruin it for the rest of us watch wearers.
They’re already working on their timepiece infringement case they’re taking against Rolex
What a ridiculous idea,I have liberated myself from apple,and switched to android.
Liberated?
Apple make great products, I have been using a G4 Dual Powermac in my home studio for over 10 years, bought it second hand, it was made in 1998 and is as solid as a rock…..unlike windows.
Sent from my iPhone!
Your brainwashed Julian. You have obviously never ventured too far into modern technology if you think your 14 year old mac is still “solid”. Your studio sounds great.
Yay! Something else to break and or get stolen!
You’d want to be an awful eegit to get ur watch stolen off ur wrist!
There is a Sony Smart watch already available and Samsung tried this before and failed.
Theres already a very good Sony Smart watch- this is not an original idea, just Apple sticking an “i” on it so the apple addicts will pay 5x the price for it. l changed to Android this year and would never go back, apple are very restrictive, over priced and have lost their creativity.
What about an iHat with a screen in the brim that folds down in front of your eyes?
The battery, a printer, the headphones and whatever else could all be built in and people would start walking into walls as well as crashing their cars!
Not that far fetched.
There have been some advances in projected touchscreen technology. If the watch could project a screen onto a wall or other surface, with all off the swipe, pinch, slide functionality enabled, you’d be looking at mobile computing without the restrictions of a small screen.
Throw in 4G technology and cloud storage and you don’t even need to much memory. You could even virtualize the running of your apps. This would keeping the memory and processing requirements down to the minimum to manage the touch screen, and would allow space to be kept for the projection requirements.
No offence rob but you are a complete idiot
I’m really hoping this isn’t true. I have a shed load of Apple kit, imac’s, macbook pros, ipad , iphones etc so I’m not a hater but if this occurs the behemoth that is Apple will wipe out Pebble who have come from nowhere, reached out on kickstarter, invigorated a community and innovated in the area. For Apple to just sweep in and steal (as they have done since IOS5) the drive created by the little guy to make mass profit would be yet another negative development for competition in the consumer electronics sector. Come on the underdog.
Watch straps for the iPod Nano have been available for quite a while now and personally I don’t think they look too bad. The idea of buying an actual “iWatch” does sound stupid but if you already have an iPod Nano the strap isn’t that much of an outlay. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XexrkV7SBkA
I had one and it was great for jogging and the gym looked great too. Not so great as a watch because it takes a second or 2 to switch on. Also, its not watetproof. Mine died cause i got caught jogging in a light shower with no pockets.
The only reason 75% of phone activations are Android is because its literally hundreds of types of Android Phone against ONE type of iphone. That being said, I think Apple are going to have to really pull rabbits out of hats to make the iPhone 6 in any way desireable. As for the watch, I can’t imagine it will do much other than tell the time, the current temperature and link by bluetooth to the phone in your pocket, and show the same notifications as get on it. I don’t find that particularly desireable in any way.. so maybe Apple will surprise us with something interesting… have nothing against Android, and really all I have against Apple is there bloody useless itunes program! Personally I think they should come up with some kinetic iphone that charges itself as its used. Now wouldn’t that be useful?
Heard new product is gonna be a Hoover called i suck :)
Talk about a world of distractions. Having an iPhone is bad enough but I’ll never get any study done with an iWatch. I like being able to check the time without squinting at yet another screen thanks.
More likely an ipod that can be worn on the wrist with wireless headphones or something.
Nobody still wears watches do they?
Ok i will try again. Hopefully it wont be deleted this time.
I cant see a straight bloke wearing this gadget because he would be a laughing stock.
Is that PC enough.
Bizarre comment
Or the new apple toilet called the
i-can
Surprised they don’t have this out already it wouldnt have all the features just notifications etc.. and most importantly the ability to switch what your listening to or check progress time in a fitness app. Sony already have the smart watch cost less than 100 euro and it links to your experia phone brilliantly… Really good product in my opinion
Apple disrupts telling the time. Didn’t Nokia or somebody do this before? Can’t see why Apple would bother when one of their accessory people can make it.
What the iWatch could look like.
I still don’t get the whole ‘kick apple users’ thing Derek/Dessie.
Apple products :-
~ Generally are more stylish
~ Generally have higher specs than similar products
~ Usually last longer than similar products
and of course
~ Cost more!
So, if you want a class leading product that looks great, works great, will last for a long time and you have the money…. Buy an Apple product.
If not, then buy something else, but FFS, don’t keep ranting about fanboi’s and hipsters.
Apple may not always be the first to invent something but whatever they do (tv excluded) usually leads to a tech step forward which has to be a good thing right?
Already got the strap for the nano and turned on the clock to be the main screen! Works fine! Just too lazy to charge my watch!!! Doesn’t seem right!
For what it will cost I hope there’s a button on it for when I am just about to get a parking ticket that says … Beam me up Scotty I’m in trouble :)
There’s a watch called an I’m Watch which does this. it’s about €350. A watch has advantages over a phone especially if you are travelling or at the races :)
Who would want to be seen wareing on of these remember the digital watch where are they now or the calculator watch gone and forgotten
You could easily have an analog clock display instead of a digital one.
As others have said, most of this has been done before, but there are some useful potential features.
- Check messages/mail/SMS received without taking your phone out of your pocket.
- Change the song you are listening to.
- See who is ringing and answer (assuming using headphones as handsfree)
- Localised alerts e.g. Pedestrian access ahead closed, 50% off instore, we have that cd/dvd/game on your wishlist available instore, expect rain etc
- Sat nav for walking, check your watch and an arrow points you in the direction,
I think this is the most logical argument here, I like the idea of the location based marketing potential. Rumours are Apple are looking to acquire FourSquare so something as portable as an iWatch could make sense.
Also, GPS watches are quite a lucrative market with the likes of Garmin making them, if the money is there to be made, why not give it a go?
Looks like a copy of Motorola’s motoactv.
After a few weeks you’d end up with eyes like Peter Lorres
imagine an imore? everything apple has done into one device. an hologram type device that is integrated into a small little key ring. activate it and out jumps some annoying 3d spokeperson / cartoon of your choice. you get the idea. maybe i should patent now so i can sue apple for infringement! i admire the way apple has developed / reinvented themselves. but honestly i just cannot stand the impractical software and its functions. had an imac, g4, iphone 3 & 4, ipod. never again. truly android from here on in.
Any chance that Apple will set up a manufacturing plant for the iClog here! Come on IDA, go meet Tim Cook or invite him to the Gathering!
As a self confessed Apple fan I have to say this is ridiculous!! I have an iPhone and an iPad but I’d be mortified to wear one of these, iDump this idea please Apple!
What the iWatch could look like……..
I think no one here read the article properly, “Intel came up with the concept and Apple is now “interested” in building it out.”
I first seen one of these watch phones few years back and always wondered if you could use it in prison and nobody would notice ..just a random taught lol
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