Grounded staff face sack in row
For the last five days the airline’s management has been holding meetings with individual cabin crew members who have refused to work the rosters. During each meeting — at which the workers have representation from their union IMPACT — the company has given each person the opportunity to sign an undertaking that they will toe the management line.
However, in almost 150 cases, the cabin crew member has refused and has been removed from duty and from the payroll.
In letters issued to each of those staff members yesterday, the company gives them a second opportunity to sign the undertaking. It also tells them that if they do not, they will be entered into a “process” which could ultimately see them being removed from the company entirely.
Around 280 Aer Lingus cabin crew marched to the airline’s headquarters at Dublin Airport yesterday.
The workers presented a letter to Aer Lingus chief executive Christoph Mueller stating they are ready, willing and able to work.
At present the airline is having to “wet lease” (hire aircraft with complete crew) nine aircraft from a number of airlines including rival Ryanair to maintain a close to full schedule. Even with those it was still forced to cancel a flight to Chicago.
The airline said it hopes to operate a full schedule over the weekend. Management sources say they are not prepared to allow the situation, which is mounting significant costs, to continue and that they need to start looking to replace the dismissed staff.
When it emerged that the letters were being issued to its members, IMPACT trade union issued a statement condemning the move.
The union said Aer Lingus management were misjudging the mood of its cabin crew by issuing threats to sack them.
It said the move was “completely at odds” with the company chief executive’s message in newspaper adverts yesterday which said cabin crew were among the best in the world and “deserved appreciation from the company for their flexibility and dedication”.
“This afternoon’s apparent attempt to frighten cabin crew into submission and divide a unified group of professional colleagues has completely misjudged the mood of cabin crew and, if anything, will make it harder to find a solution to this problem,” it said.
“Cabin crew are absolutely solid in their support for one another and in their determination to protect their working conditions and a reasonable work-life balance.”
LIKE many other airlines, the recession hit Aer Lingus hard and there were fears that a sustained downturn could push the company out of business.
In response, the airline formulated “Greenfield”, an efficiency programme designed to shave €97m off its cost-base. It looked like it had brought the unions round when 93% of cabin crew voted to accept the need to raise “block” hours from 800 to 850.
However, repeated discussions have failed to find a mutually acceptable formula on how the 850 hours can be achieved.
The airline says it cannot wait and says the new rosters have been developed in line with international best practice and are consistent with those in operation throughout the aviation industry.
IMPACT trade union, which represents cabin crew in the dispute, insists its members are prepared to work 850 annual block hours. It says its members have already increased their block hours to 830.
However, it points to a Labour Relations Commission finding last year which said any roster changes must be agreed or referred for arbitration.
It points to features of the rosters imposed on Monday which it says are particularly onerous. They include having to work up to 11 hours without a meal break, the ability of management to change an individual’s roster by three hours on the day of duty — meaning they may have to work three hours extra — and halving rest periods on transatlantic flights.
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