http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/031022/0936001123_2.html

Dow Jones Business News
Aer Lingus Facing Strike Action, Flight Disruption Thu
Wednesday October 22, 9:36 am ET

DUBLIN (Dow Jones)--Ireland's national carrier Aer Lingus Group PLC will
face flight disruption Thursday after last minute talks with union leaders
failed to avert a strike by cabin crew.
The airline said Wednesday it had managed to source additional aircraft, and
a maximum of 19 flights out of the 200 scheduled would now be canceled,
after talks failed late Tuesday.


All affected passengers would be placed on other flights, it said.

Aer Lingus is currently attempting to refashion itself into a low-fares
airline to compete with no-frills carrier Ryanair Holdings PLC on European
flights.

It accused the trade union Impact of wanting to stop the company's
transformation into a low-fares airline that has launched 28 new routes over
the past two years.

It claimed the union is "determined to stop customers availing of still
lower fares and more new routes," adding that a 25-minute turnaround time
was fundamental to its low-fares agenda.

A further one-day strike is planned by cabin crew for Monday, threatening
serious disruption on the final day of Ireland's busy bank holiday weekend.

Aer Lingus is refusing to pay cabin crew an outstanding 4% pay increase
under an employer-union wage agreement unless they offer the greater
productivity.

The airline wants staff to sell food and drinks on board, to make quicker
aircraft turnarounds and to start work earlier in return for the wage
increase.

Impact, which represents the cabin crew, said it would welcome a
recommendation in line with what would be reasonable productivity, but said
it should include the cabin crew's increased productivity to date.

Company Web site: http://www.aerlingus.com

-By Quentin Fottrell, Dow Jones Newswires; 353-1-676-2189;



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