Union to fight job cuts plan by Aer Lingus

TRANSPORT Minister Séamus Brennan’s plan to break up Aer Rianta was backfiring, the opposition claimed last night as Aer Lingus announced a redundancy proposal for more than 100 staff at Shannon Airport.

SIPTU pledged to fight the proposed job losses, the second major employment blow within 24 hours for the mid-west.

Union official Tony Carroll claimed the national carrier was endeavouring to “walk away” from Shannon.

Fine Gael TD Pat Breen accused Aer Lingus of eroding services at Shannon to help sustain its operations at Dublin Airport, while Labour’s Roisín Shortall challenged the Government’s commitment to regional airports.

Aer Lingus said yesterday it was seeking 102 voluntary redundancies from its ground operations-based staff at Shannon.

The company blamed the planned job losses on a significant decline in third-party handling services at the airport.

As a result of a the review of its ground handling services, the company said it plans to introduce a new operating structure which will concentrate on the handling of the core Aer Lingus schedule at Shannon. The Aer Lingus announcement followed Thursday’s decision by Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon to put 150 workers on protective notice. The company’s warning came after SIPTU members at the company rejected a management proposal on redundancy and pay.

Last year, the company lost 20 weeks’ production after a fire at the plant.

Clare-based Mr Breen said that the Aer Lingus blow showed the Government was not committed to the development of Shannon.

“There has been an erosion of services by Aer Lingus at Shannon since September 2001 and the summer schedule for this year again confirms that trend.”

SIPTU’s Tony Carroll said the redundancy plan will have catastrophic long-term effects on Shannon and the mid-west.

“The union and its members are united in their opposition to this plan by Aer Lingus and will vigorously fight the company every step of the way.

“SIPTU is committed to tackling any problem that exists at Shannon, but this decision is tantamount to cracking a nut with a sledgehammer,” said Mr Carroll.

Meanwhile, separate talks on the planned relocation of 29 Aer Lingus cabin crew from Shannon to Dublin will resume at the Labour Relations Court on Monday.