“Dear Sirs, Since sending you the previous memo on this dispute, (attached to the Mutual Assistance request on 23 rd
May 2002, and also to this memo) a number of other developments have occurred.
Seven pilots have now been suspended for refusing to operate the rosters that the company are unilaterally
imposing. It is expected that further pilots will be suspended before the planned one -day strike takes place
on Thursday next.(30 th May) The company have announced today that they will not operate any flights on
Friday and that they will be reviewing the situation for Saturday’ s and subsequent days flights tomorrow. As
well as this lock-out, IALPA anticipates that the company will adopt direct intimidation tactics against
individual pilots, such as demanding personally signed agreements to work the new rosters, or face
immediate suspension. It should be noted that Pilots on suspension are off the pay-roll.
IALPA and their Trade Union, IMPACT, have no doubt that it is the company’s intention to smash IALPA.
This seems to be a common tactic among One-World Airlines, e.g. Cathay Pacific and the Lan-Chile pilots.
As well as the basic need to protect the rights of any group of pilots to have their own association, and to
negotiate their collective agreements through that association, there is a need for all pilots, not only those in
the One World Alliance, to resist the union busting tactics of alliance managements.
IALPA has put in place a Request for Extra Flight and/or Increased Capacity (I Manual, Paragraph
2.4.2 a) and we thank all of you for your support. It is IALPA’s intention to welcome extra flights or capacity
increases in flights operated by those IFALPA airlines that already operate into or out of Irish Airports. We
request associations and airlines that are being contacted to operate Aer Lingus flights to refuse to do so.
Finally, we ask all of you to send an e-mail to Mr. Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of Aer Lingus, deprecating
the company’s tactics, indicating your association’ s support for IALPA, calling upon him to enter meaningful
negotiations with IALPA , and to re-instate the suspended pilots. The e-mail address is
[email protected]. Please send a copy to [email protected] . We also ask you to send a similar e-mail
to the Taoiseach’s (Prime Minister) office, calling upon him to intervene in this dispute and to ensure
that Aer Lingus pilots are not forced to operate rosters that no decent employer would ever contemplate. His name is Mr, Bertie Ahern and his e-mail address is [email protected] . Please also copy the
message to [email protected]. Letters of support to IALPA would also be appreciated at this difficult time.
Thank for your support and assistance. The Executive council and members of IALPA find their resolve for
the struggle is greatly helped by knowing that we have your support. Yours faithfully, Captain Dennis Dolan, Principal Vice-President
Professional Affairs
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