Labour Court move for SIPTU vice-president

SIPTU vice-president Brendan Hayes has been named deputy chairman of the Labour Court just three months after he was forced to issue a circular to the union’s 200,000 members denying he had been offered the €150,000 per-year post.

Last October, newspaper reports claimed Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, in her role as Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister, planned to give the 56-year-old the role instead of going through a Public Appointment System to find a candidate.

The article also claimed “everyone at the SIPTU conference last week knew that Brendan Hayes is in line for it”.

However, Mr Hayes issued a statement both to the media and to SIPTU members in the aftermath of the piece saying not only that he had not been offered the position but also that it would be up to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to select the candidate.

It has now emerged that at the end of last year – and after Mr Hayes issued the rebuttal – ICTU chose four candidates from which Mr Hayes was selected.

“Brendan Hayes will bring a wealth of experience to the Labour Court given his extensive industrial relations experience and his previous service for over 30 years as a trade union official,” said Labour Affairs Minister Dara Calleary.

SIPTU general secretary, Joe O’Flynn, said Brendan Hayes would be greatly missed by SIPTU and the broader trade union movement.

“While we wish him every success in his appointment as deputy chair of the Labour Court he will be greatly missed for his intellect and experience by SIPTU and the broader trade union movement,” he said.

SIPTU will now start the process of appointing a replacement in the role of vice president with existing Dublin regional secretary Patricia King tipped to succeed Mr Hayes.

Meanwhile, pilot unions and management at Aer Lingus are expected to spend the weekend in discussions on outstanding differences over the pilots’ contribution of €30m in cost savings for the airline.

Both sides have accepted in broad terms the contents of a savings document put forward by an arbitration tribunal earlier this week. However, there are some outstanding points of contention over pensions and the introduction of a pay freeze. These must be resolved before the sides meet once more with the tribunal chairman Kieran Mulvey on January 21 and before the airline announces major changes to its operations to investors on January 26.