Airline redundancies - Government must come clean on plans

AER Lingus is ripe for privatisation following last night’s overwhelming acceptance of a voluntary redundancy package by more workers than the company targeted.

As the Government ponders the company’s future, the management process of transforming the once ailing group into a slimmed-down, low-cost, high-profit outfit will now gather momentum.

Though staffing levels will be slashed, no eyebrows will be raised at the rush to leave the company. With an exorbitant package on the table, including an unprecedented nine weeks pay for each year of service, the deal proved so attractive the company got almost 1,600 takers instead of the 1,325 cuts it wanted.