Aer Lingus staff to discuss redundancy

Aer Lingus workers will today discuss their response to the redundancy deal offered to 1,325 employees.

Around 50 representatives of workers at the state airline will talk through the airlines restructuring moves to slash business class seats, cut cargo transportation and cut staff.

SIPTU’s spokesman said employees of the state airline had many concerns about the moves to cut costly premier seats on all short-haul routes from April next.

He said: “They are only interested in slimming down the airline and selling it and presumably making a profit for themselves.”

A spokeswoman for Aer Lingus, which is undergoing a major restructuring to take on the ‘no-frills’ airline market, said: “Premier class will continue on all transatlantic routes.”

The airline's position with the One World Alliance, which offers passengers benefits if they fly with eight different airlines including Aer Lingus, was under consideration and will be decided next November.

A spokesman for the largest union in Ireland said: “They will be sitting down and discussing how much of a pay increase they will be looking for in exchange for the redundancies as, obviously, those that are left will have to work harder.

“In the longer term, it says it wants to increase service to a large number of countries, particularly on the Mediterranean rim,” he said.

He said the staff could be retrained and redeployed in other areas.

The spokesman said they had not decided on the size of the increase being sought but it would be a “realistic sum”.

SIPTU said the company’s offer of nine weeks’ basic pay appeared to be a good deal at face value.

But he added there are major defects upon close examination.

The management offered a deal of nine weeks’ basic pay for each year a worker had spent with the company up to a limit of 15 years.

But a SIPTU spokesman said: “Around 40% of people would have more than 15 years service.”

The workers also voiced worries about the interline cargo service being dropped from all short-haul services from September next.

In a statement the airline said: “Short-haul cargo represents less than 12% of our total cargo business and is inherently unprofitable.

“The decision by Aer Lingus will effect less than 3% of the total cargo volume through Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airport.”

Some of the major multi-national companies in Ireland are believed to have complained at the airline pulling the commercial service.