Airline staff step up row over privatisation

SIPTU workers in Aer Lingus have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action if Minister for Transport Martin Cullen presses ahead with his plan to privatise the airline.

Mr Cullen is set to bring his proposals for the part sale of Aer Lingus before the Government next week.

The company has indicated late June as a possible target date for the flotation of the airline’s share capital on the stock exchange. About two-thirds of SIPTU members at the airline took part in the ballot which resulted in a 94% vote in favour of industrial action.

SIPTU national industrial secretary Michael Halpenny said: “This result is clear evidence of our members’ concern for job security, pensions and conditions of employment, and even clearer evidence of their determination to defend those interests should the management of Aer Lingus seek to push through privatisation without agreement on these core issues of concern.”

The union is seeking sanction for industrial action from SIPTU’s National Executive Council. Following that, the union will serve notice on the airline to be effected in the event of any unilateral action by Aer Lingus, said Mr Halpenny.

“We have attempted to honour our promise to the Minister for Transport on meaningful engagement with the airline and have detailed the concerns of our members to management,” he said.

“Regrettably, to date, there has been an absence of meaningful engagement on the part of management and so we are no further on than we were four weeks ago. We are still awaiting the further meeting which the minister promised the unions before he proceeded to Government for a final decision.”

The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport will hold its first hearing into the issue next Thursday.

Mr Cullen has made it clear the Government favours the flotation and sale of shares on the stock exchange as the best means of selling the State’s interest.