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An Aer Lingus flight from Manchester Airport to Dublin has been cancelled today as staff begin the first day of a four-day walkout in a dispute over pay. According to Unite, 130 cabin crew members voted for strike action with a walkout planned from October 30 until November 2. Further strike action is set to take place from November 9 to 11, and November 16 to 18. Aer Lingus operates out of Manchester Airport's Terminal 2 and flies several times a day, with destinations including Dublin, New York and Barbados. Today, October 30 the 12.25pm flight to Dublin has been cancelled. Four other Aer Lingus flights are operating as scheduled with delays of around 25 minutes - no different to other flights scheduled today. An Aer Lingus regional flight to Belfast is also expected to operate as planned. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE In a statement on its website, Aer Lingus described the strike action as “disappointing” and warned of disruption to passengers. It said: “Aer Lingus negotiated in good faith with the Unite trade union having regard to bench-marked market pay in the UK. “Aer Lingus and Unite reached agreement on two separate comprehensive and market competitive pay deals which Unite then recommended to its members, the latter being based on a recommendation following a detailed conciliation process at ACAS. “In this context, it is very disappointing that Unite has served notice of further industrial action over these extended periods, which will be very disruptive to our customers flying between Manchester and New York, Orlando and Barbados. “Aer Lingus will now focus on communicating directly with impacted customers with a view to re-accommodating them where possible and minimising the disruption caused to them.” Aer Lingus employees at Manchester Airport rejected the latest offer of a nine percent pay rise this year and a three percent rise next year. The Unite members have conceded that while the figures look high on paper, they have pointed to low Aer Lingus salaries. According to reports from Unite, the starting salary at the company is at £17,640.25, well below minimum wage. There is also a discrepancy between pay in the UK and Ireland. The starting basic salary for cabin crew in Ireland is €29,833.26, meaning the difference once converted into pounds is £8,249. Unite says that staff are reportedly struggling to pay rent and having to take second jobs to afford essentials to live and work in Manchester, which has a similar cost of living than Dublin. Unite bosses have highlighted Aer Lingus' lucrative 2024 that has seen it record an operating profit of €205m and has projected profits of around £35 million from just two aircraft operating three routes at Manchester Airport - Barbados, New York JFK and Orlando, the routes the cabin crew involved in the dispute work on. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "It is outrageous that cabin crew working for such a profitable airline are struggling on such low wages and cannot afford the basics. "Any strike action will be hugely disruptive to these routes, but the additional action is entirely the fault of Aer Lingus who have consistently put profits over people during this dispute. Unite will back our members at the airline every step of the way." For more of today's top stories, click here.
