Aer Lingus pilots vote to accept a pay raise. It ends a dispute that canceled hundreds of flights

Audio By Carbonatix

LONDON (AP) — Pilots at Ireland’s national airline, Aer Lingus, have voted to accept a pay increase and end a labor dispute that led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights, the two sides said Tuesday.

Members of the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association backed the 17.75% raise recommended by Ireland’s Labour Court, which intervened in the standoff between the pilots and airline management. Some 85% of union members who returned ballots voted in favor of the deal.

The pilots staged an eight-hour walkout on June 30 and spent two weeks refusing to work overtime, accept changes in set rosters or take out-of-hours management requests. About 600 flights were canceled.

They suspended the industrial action after the Labour Court intervened.

“Aer Lingus welcomes the outcome of the ballot which has accepted the Labour Court recommendation,” the airline said in a brief statement.

Union president Mark Tighe hailed the deal as “the greatest pay award seen in 30 years for Aer Lingus pilots.”

Tighe added: “Companies making significant profits must ensure that their employees’ remuneration reflects the success of the company, and their salaries are protected from inflation."