Aer Lingus accused of intimidating staff

Aer Lingus was accused tonight of attempting to frighten cabin crew into submission with threats to sack them as a row over rosters escalated.

Impact trade union also claimed the airline was trying to divide a unified group of workers who were determined to protect their working conditions.

Almost 150 Aer Lingus staff have been removed from the payroll over the last five days as cabin crew refuse to co-operate with new rosters.

The carrier has hired in several aircraft with crew, including from rival Ryanair, to ensure a full schedule will operate over the weekend.

Enda Corneille, Aer Lingus commercial director, warned cabin crew who refuse to operate the controversial new rosters could be sacked.

"We will be writing to crew that have been taken off the payroll offering them a third opportunity to sign an undertaking to work the rosters and if they refuse a second time they will enter a process that could result in them being removed from the company and replaced," he added.

Impact, which represents 1,100 cabin crew, most of them working for Aer Lingus, said management were misjudging the mood of staff by issuing threats to sack them.

"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," said a union spokesman.

Earlier 280 cabin crew in uniforms marched to Aer Lingus headquarters at Dublin Airport to deliver a letter to the company's chief executive Christoph Mueller.

The suspended workers stated they remained ready, willing and able to work and loyal to Aer Lingus, but were also "loyal to each other and to our families whose quality of life we are trying to protect".

Impact maintains controversial aspects of the rosters include how duties can be changed by three hours on the day of duty, making it impossible to plan childcare; the introduction of 'double' shifts and the removal of meal breaks from European flights.

Cabin crew can be sent to work away from base for 26 days at a stretch, it claimed.

But airline bosses said the sole responsibility for the cancellations lies with union members for taking industrial action after 15 months of negotiation, agreement, clarification, conciliation and binding arbitration.

In advertisements in national newspapers and on the Aer Lingus website, Mr Muller said while his cabin crew were among the best in the world, it was disappointing and frustrating they had been badly misled by Impact.

"We believe the majority of our cabin crew want to continue to do the great job for which they are internationally recognised, however the Impact trade union has led the cabin crew into escalating industrial action since last October," he stated.

"We have tried our very best over the past 15 weeks to protect you, our customers, from the effects of this ongoing industrial action however, earlier this week the situation became untenable.

"In order to achieve the agreed productivity levels with cabin crew, which were endorsed by independent bodies, we had no option but to introduce new rosters and associated rules.

"Some of the Impact cabin crew union members have refused to operate these new rosters resulting in the situation we now face."