Cabin crew vote again on €97m cost-cutting deal

AER LINGUS cabin crew have started to vote on a controversial €97 million cost-cutting plan for the airline.

The move follows talks at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) last Friday, where Impact union representatives say they received “deeper clarification” of what the package will mean for around 1,200 airline staff represented by the union.

However, an Impact spokesman confirmed that there was “no change to the content” of the deal and the clarifications mainly concern roistering and the use of temporary cabin crew.

After a general meeting of over 300 union members yesterday in Dublin it was decided to proceed with another ballot. Ballots will open for Cork and Shannon cabin crew today.

The re-ballot follows cabin crew’s rejection of management’s cost-cutting proposals on March 5, with 36% in favour and 64% against from a 100% turnout.

In response Aer Lingus chief executive Christoph Mueller said the company would be terminating the employment of all 1,200 cabin crew.

He said most would be rehired on inferior terms and conditions, but about 230 would be made compulsorily redundant and receive only statutory entitlements of two weeks per year of service.

Last Friday the LRC met management and Impact representatives separately.

At these talks management outlined the difficulties they would have in changing the proposals, which had been agreed following protracted negotiations between unions and management, and had already been accepted by all other Aer Lingus staff, who are represented by three different unions.

Impact had also recommended to their members that the proposals be accepted.

Meanwhile, a threatened major escalation yesterday by the Irish Taxi Council (ITC) of their dispute failed to make a major impact in Dublin or other areas where small protests occurred. The ITC is looking for reforms of the taxi industry and a cap on the issuing of licences.