Further strikes by Aer Lingus cabin crew as dispute escalates

More disruption to Aer Lingus flights departing and arriving at Manchester Airport Terminal 2 as cabin crew expected to walk out on more days.

Around 130 workers, members of Unite, will now walk out from 9 to 11 November, 14 November and 16 to 18 November. These strike dates are additional to the walk outs from October 30 to November 2. 

It comes as cabin crew working from Manchester Airport have rejected a pay rise of nine per cent this year and three per cent next year.  

While Unite recognises this is a high number on paper, salaries at Aer Lingus are low with the starting salary of £17,640.25 well below minimum wage. 

There is also a discrepancy between pay in the UK and Ireland. The starting basic salary for cabin crew in Ireland is €29,833.26, meaning the difference once converted into pounds is £8,249. 

The cost of living in Manchester is not substantially lower than in Dublin, with both being major cities facing high housing and living costs.  

Unite members at Aer Lingus UK have reported struggling to pay rent and having to take on second jobs to afford essentials. 

Meanwhile Aer Lingus is the Irish flag carrier and is highly profitable. Last year, it recorded an operating profit of €205m and has projected profits of around £35 million from just two aircraft operating three routes at Manchester Airport - Barbados, New York JFK and Orlando, the routes the cabin crew involved in the dispute work on. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "It is outrageous that cabin crew working for such a profitable airline are struggling on such low wages and cannot afford the basics. 

"Any strike action will be hugely disruptive to these routes, but the additional action is entirely the fault of Aer Lingus who have consistently put profits over people during this dispute. Unite will back our members at the airline every step of the way." 

Another issue at Aer Lingus is that Irish workers get bigger down route allowances, for items such as food, taxis and additional supplies such as medicine. For example, Irish Aer Lingus cabin crew get $171 per night for all US destinations per night but UK workers get $111 for Orlando and $115 for New York - despite staying in the same hotels. As well as an improved pay offer, Unite is calling on Aer Lingus to end this disparity. 

The airline has also begun to engage in strike busting tactics ahead of next week’s action including changes to crew rosters, repositioning aircraft and crew and making plans to lease crew from other operators. Unite has made it clear to Aer Lingus that the total cost of these measures far exceeds the cost of resolving the dispute through a fair and reasonable pay uplift for its members. 

Unite regional officer John O'Neill said: "All our members are seeking from Aer Lingus is a recognition of the hard work they do and being able to have a standard of living that doesn't require struggling to get by or taking on multiple jobs to afford essentials. 

“Each time management chooses to spend money fighting its own employees rather than resolving the issue, they push the cost higher and delay the inevitable outcome – a fair deal for Aer Lingus UK cabin crew. 

"Aer Lingus can avoid this further action by investing some of its profits back into its hardworking staff and coming back to the negotiating table. Unite is urging them to do this to avoid major disruption to flights in the coming weeks."