Aer Lingus payments - Close this loophole

AS Aer Lingus management and Impact representatives meet the Labour Relations Commission separately today British Airways management are preparing for a strike scheduled for next week.

Both conflicts centre on pay and conditions for cabin crew and Aer Lingus management have identified a loophole in employment legislation that must be closed.

As Fine Gael’s Leo Varadkar has pointed out Aer Lingus has threatened to fire 1,200 cabin crew and re-employ fewer than 1,000 on inferior terms. The airline hopes to recoup 60% of redundancy costs — an estimated €10 million — through the social insurance fund.