SIPTU wants assurances Aer Lingus jobs won’t be outsourced

SIPTU has sought an immediate meeting with Aer Lingus management at which it wants assurances the jobs of more than 1,300 of its members will not be outsourced.

In the letter to Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion, SIPTU president Jack O’Connor said the union was extremely concerned at speculation the airline wants to outsource all ground staff jobs in Dublin, Cork and Shannon, and that talks were in progress with parties such as Servisair.

He said there were existing commitments to “information, consultation and negotiation” encompassed within agreements between the unions and airline.

In spite of those commitments Mr O’Connor said there had been no consultation on cost savings since Aer Lingus, at the announcement of its first-half results for the year in August, said it would require fundamental changes in its operating cost base in order to minimise losses in 2009.

The company is expected to announce its intentions on cost-saving by the end of September. However, it is understood the work of check-in staff, baggage handlers and catering staff could be out sourced before the end of 2009.

It is also believed the airline is considering using US cabin crew on its transatlantic flights as these offer a cheaper alternative than Irish-based staff.

Aer Lingus has refused to confirm or deny the reports or to comment before the end of the month.

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said of the situation at Aer Lingus: “The Minister for Transport can deal with that. Generally speaking from a government point of view Aer Lingus is a company in which the Government has a minority shareholding.

“The State cannot direct the business of Aer Lingus any further. That is a matter for the board of Aer Lingus to decide what is in the best interest of the company. There are real constraints on the extent to which the Irish state can tell Aer Lingus how to run its business.”

Meanwhile, the Civil and Public Services Union (CPSU) held an emergency meeting of its members from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment where it called for a retraction of comments about public sector workers by Junior Minister John McGuinness.

During an address to the Beverage Council of Ireland’s annual conference, the Minister of State said jobs needed to be cut across the civil service and state sector.

CPSU deputy general secretary Eoin Ronayne said that while he continued to be a government minister, public servants would be unwilling to accept that they were merely that.

“If he is to continue as a senior member of government then the Taoiseach and his Tánaiste Mary Coughlan must secure a retraction from the junior minister or ask him to step down,” said Mr Ronayne.