Former Aer Lingus manager angry at pensions situation
Tom McInerney claimed that some workers were getting less than €100 a week in pension money, and were finding it hard to make ends meet.
“The Aer Rianta and Aer Lingus pensioners have been screwed,” said Mr McInerney.
He said he was one of the luckier ones having ended up in senior management with a good pension.
“But I feel angry and bitter at the way my colleagues, who spent their entire working lives with the company, have been treated in retirement with pensions which are appalling.”
In the past three years alone, he said Aer Rianta and Aer Lingus pensions had fallen 15% behind other State pensions due to a €240m shortfall in the pension scheme to provide for guaranteed cost of living increases.
“The Aer Lingus/Aer Rianta pension is the only State or semi-State pension which is not indexed linked. In other state sector jobs when staff get a pay rise, pensioners get a pro rata pension increase. The aviation workers pension scheme also does not have a guaranteed cost of living element in it,” Mr McInerney said.
Fianna Fáil transport committee chairman Peter Power said retired Aer Rianta and Aer Lingus workers had seen their pensions fall 50% behind those of other State pensioners.
Mr Power, who is a TD for Limerick East, said there were hundreds of pensioners in Limerick and the Mid-West area who found themselves in this situation.
He was speaking after a meeting with representatives of retired Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta workers.
Following the talks, he said he intended to raise the matter in the Dáil.
A Dublin Airport Authority (formerly Aer Rianta) spokesman said: “This issue is not easy to deal with as it involves workers who were employed by Aer Lingus, Aer Rianta and the former Team Aer Lingus. The pension scheme cannot be amended without the consent of all.”
There was no comment available from Aer Lingus when contacted last night.
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