Aer Lingus document 'leaked to cause upset'

The leaking of a controversial Aer Lingus management document was deliberately designed to cause strife between staff and the airline, it was claimed today.

The memo outlined 12 proposals to force employees to take up the national carrier’s redundancy package last year.

Aer Lingus chairman John Sharman today told the Oireachtas Transport Committee the timing of the document was “despicable” because management was on the verge of agreement with unions on future work practices and a new chief executive officer was starting work in 10 days.

“I find the timing of the release of the document interesting,” he said.

“The release of it is despicable. The only intent was to create anxiety, to create a feeling that Aer Lingus as a company had a policy of intimidating staff.

“Whoever leaked that document I’d like to meet him or her.”

The memo suggested that workers with families should be given antisocial shifts and supervisors get a ’tap on the shoulder’ to say they had no future with the company.

It was condemned by SIPTU and several Government ministers.

Siptu’s national industrial secretary Michael Halpenny told the committee that there was a culture of harassment and intimidation within the company but many workers felt they were better taking redundancy rather than pursuing constructive dismissal cases.

“Many supervisors were too ashamed and demoralised that they didn’t even tell their partners,” he said.

“I have never seen a document like that in all my years as a paid official and shop steward.”

Mr Sharman replied: “There is no culture of intimidation in Aer Lingus. I do not think there was and there certainly isn’t now.”

Labour’s transport spokesperson Roisin Shorthall said: “This kind of thinking has no place in modern industrial relations and would be illegal under employment law.”