Officials from the trade union IMPACT are meeting today to decide dates for industrial action after Aer Lingus cabin crew based at Cork, Dublin, Heathrow and Shannon rejected a Labour Court-recommended deal by a massive 98%.
If the strikes go ahead, the national carrier will be grounded again while it is still recovering from a similar damaging dispute last year.
IMPACT spokesman Bernard Harbor said his body's members are unhappy with proposals which they feel will create a two-tier workforce, saying new staff will start on inferior terms and conditions to existing workers.
He also claimed that despite the pay increases, staff still have to wait over 35 years before they reach the salary of £25,000.