Management move averts Aer Lingus strike threat

THE threat of a strike at the country’s main airports was averted last night after management agreed to meet with workers.

SIPTU’s members at the State-owned company had called for a meeting with chief executive Willie Walsh to negotiate the major issues outlined in his three-year rationalisation plan.

The union’s national industrial secretary Michael Halpenny called off the planned one-hour employee meeting at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports 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.

“As a priority,” said Mr Halpenny, “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.”

The union had criticised 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 Roisin Shortall called upon Transport Minister Seamus Brennan to outline the Government’s position on the airline’s restructuring plans. “The developments at Aer Lingus have major consequences for tourism and exports. This is not just another company, it is a national asset of strategic importance to this country as an island nation.”

Sinn Féin’s Sean Crowe 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.”