Pilot strike looms

Unite today (November 14) announced that pilots at the Dublin-based airline CityJet are set to strike before Christmas.  The vast majority — 82 per cent of pilots — represented by the union voted to escalate the limited industrial action commenced in September on foot of the company’s refusal to allow the WRC to refer the issues in dispute to the Labour Court.  Strike dates have yet to be determined.

“In addition to City Jet’s ongoing pay issues and refusal to allow the WRC to refer those issues to the Labour Court – notwithstanding an agreement concluded between Unite and CityJet obliging them to attend the Labour Court – the company is compounding that refusal by threatening to terminate their agreement with Unite in respect of pilot representation,” said Unite regional officer Willie Quigley.

“This is a denial of our members’ right to collective representation by the union of their choice,” he added.

“Other issues in dispute range from CityJet’s refusal to adequately compensate pilots who are being moved to the Amsterdam base to the imposition of ‘Bond Payments’ to secure a job with the company.

“The resolution of this dispute is in CityJet’s hands,” Quigley went on to say. “If they want to avoid being grounded before Christmas, they must agree to our dispute being referred to the Labour Court, and withdraw their threat to terminate the agreement between Unite and the company.”