Aer Lingus bosses agree to meet workers
Management at Aer Lingus agreed tonight to meet workers in a bid to avoid industrial action over restructuring plans at the airline.
Siptu’s members at the state company had called for a meeting with chief executive Willie Walsh to negotiate over the major issues outlined in his three-year plan.
The union’s national industrial secretary Michael Halpenny called off the planned one-hour employee meeting at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airport on Saturday.
Employee representatives and Mr Halpenny will be meeting the chief executive, who recently proposed a buy-out of the airline, over the prospect of 1,325 job cuts, losing the interline cargo service and slashing business class seats.
“We hope that, notwithstanding the major difficulties we face, these talks will be positive in tone,” Mr Halpenny said.
“As a priority we will be seeking the lifting of the September 14 deadline on redundancies in order to allow us space for proper negotiations on the major issues. These include outsourcing, proposed job cuts and the whole change agenda.
“As a consequence of the invitation to talks by Mr Walsh we are cancelling the general meetings for our members at the three airports on Saturday.”
The union had been critical of the way management handled the attempt to move towards the budget airline market and called Mr Walsh’s approach “counterproductive”.
In the letter to the union, Mr Walsh wrote: “If you believe that my attendance is essential I am prepared to cancel my appointments tomorrow morning and to meet with you at 8am.
“This removes your stated requirement for a meeting of your members on Saturday and also removes any threat to our operations and our customers.”
Labour Party TD Róisín Shortall called upon transport Minister Seamus Brennan to outline the Government’s position on the airline’s restructuring plans.
She said the Fianna Fáil TD had remained notably silent.
“The developments at Aer Lingus have major consequences for tourism and exports,” the Dublin North West TD said.
“This is not just another company. It is a national asset that is of strategic importance to this country as an island nation. There is also a demand for higher quality air travel and having such a carrier is an asset to the State.”
Sinn Féin’s transport spokesman, Sean Crowe TD, said: “This is more than just about how much more profit can be squeezed from an already profitable airline. Aer Lingus is the national airline, which, despite Willie Walsh’s personal ambitions, still belongs to the people of Ireland.”
