Aer Lingus costs dispute nears resolution

SIPTU’S 1,800 members at Aer Lingus are this morning expected to back a National Implementation Body recommendation that could bring the company’s year-long dispute with the staff over cost-saving measures almost to resolution.

Aer Lingus wants€20 million in cost savings through its programme for continuous improvement 2007 agenda. However, its methods, tighter pay scales for employees, overtime reduction and timetable efficiencies have been stringently opposed by unions, particularly SIPTU.

Repeated recommendations from third party industrial relations mediators failed to break the deadlock but the National Implementation Body would appear to have hammered out a formula that is acceptable to both sides.