SIPTU calls for all-out strike at Aer Lingus
The action, if it happens, is unlikely to take place for several weeks but if it goes ahead it will ground the airline completely for its duration.
The latest offensive by SIPTU has been called in response to the airline’sdecision to implement its Programme for Continuous Improvement (PCI-07) document without agreement from the union.
It is in addition to the two days of rolling strike action by the union on Tuesday and Friday of next week.
PCI-07 will see cuts in pay packets, holiday entitlements and overtime allowances but for the company it will mean€20 million in savings which it claims are essential for its competitiveness.
SIPTU national industrial secretary Michael Halpenny, who applied for the all-out picket yesterday afternoon said: “The unprecedented action by Aer Lingus management in threatening to suspend employees who do not provide assurances in writing that they will not undertake industrial action next week is an attack on the fundamental rights of workers.
“Aer Lingus employees have the right to freedom of association, to be represented by a trade union and to undertake industrial action, if necessary, in order to protect their working conditions.”
In order to successfully secure the action, the matter must be put to an aggregate ballot of all the staff across the airline.
The other main union, IMPACT — which represents cabin crew — is unlikely to give its blessing as, despite a pay freeze on its members, it is advanced on in its negotiations over PCI-07.
The only aspect of PCI-07 that it has not agreed to is the compensatory element and it will not engage in action while that is still to be brought before the Labour Court.
Meanwhile, ground staff have just four days in which to write to Aer Lingus telling the airline they will not take part in the strike action next week or they will face suspension.
SIPTU is currently formulating a strongly worded letter, which it will give to each of its members so that they can respond to the company.
Today, Aer Lingus chief Dermot Mannion will meet with ground staff in Dublin Airport to brief them on PCI-07 and warn them about the consequences of the proposed strike action.
He will issue the same warnings at Cork and Shannon airports tomorrow.
Q: Aer Lingus threat to suspend the workers — mistake or masterstroke?
A: It would appear to be a masterstroke. For the last year Aer Lingus has been trying to implement Programme for Continuous Improvement 2007 and make €20 million in savings through pay, holiday and overtime cuts. While it has had a degree of success with its cabin crews it has not been able to curry favour with SIPTU, mainly representing ground crew.
Airline chief Dermot Mannion issued letters to 1,800 SIPTU members on Tuesday, saying they would be suspended without pay if they did not guarantee in writing that they would not take part in strike action — or give a reason why they would participate and why they should not be suspended for participating — by next Monday. This appears to have been a deliberate attempt to incite the union to threaten strike action.
It will take a lot of backbone for a worker to put his head above the parapet. The gamble of the company is whether when push comes people will have the stomach for that kind of fight.
Management has made the union look like the cause of traffic chaos and it has forced the union to play its hand in the quiet period before the Christmas rush. Mr Mannion has also been afforded the opportunity to use the same tactic to quell the ground staff he used on the pilots — threat of suspension.
Q: Will it work?
A: Time and the contents of the Aer Lingus letter box will tell. When Mr Mannion tried the same tactic with the pilots, they did not have as much to lose. Pilots’ unions simply wanted their members to have the option to fly the Belfast routes. In the end a victory for the company would not have hit individual pilots in Dublin in the pocket. However, in this case SIPTU members face a considerable reduction in their pay after overtime under PCI-07.
For next week’s strike action to go ahead, the union must convince its members to stand up and be counted by submitting letters indicating they are willing to be suspended for their cause.
Q: So, what happens to the public?
A: No matter which way the situation is resolved, the public will and already have been inconvenienced. Amid the numerous previous strike threats at the airline in the last 12 months, while none have so far come to pass, the threat has remained right up to the last minute.
The airline has not rushed to put contingency plans in place because the cost of such plans, hiring aircraft and crews has run up costs into the millions.
With just a few days to go until the next disruption, thousands of passengers have been forced to change their plans, with many paying out to make alternative arrangements because they can’t risk not getting to their destination.
