Aer
Lingus flights on Friday face severe disruption with possible cancellations as
industrial unrest again hits the Irish carrier.
Only
two weeks after reaching agreement on pay and conditions with its 1,600 cabins
crew, 3,000 operatives and clerical staff are downing tools because they want
the same deal.
And
they warned the company unless it concedes they will also strike on
Friday
April 6 and again on Thursday April 12 at the start of the busy
Easter
weekend.
The
unrest could not have come at a worse time for the airline which has seen
bookings nosedive because of the foot and mouth crisis in Ireland and the UK.
At
the height of the cabin crew row in February they stopped work for a day resulting
in all Aer Lingus flights being grounded which cost the company several million
pounds in lost revenue.
Four
months ago the 3,000 employees at the centre of the new dispute accepted pay
increases of about 20pc after a series of short stoppages.
But
they warned if any other workers secured a better deal they would be back for
more.
Now Aer Lingus says the operatives and
clerical staff are demanding new pay rises of between IR£2,000 and IR£4,000
each.