This article is from page 2 of the 2007-03-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
TALKS are continuing today be- tween SIPTU representatives and management at Aer Lingus concern- ing the Labour Court recommenda- tion on the airline’s proposed cost- cutting measures.
SIPTU National Industrial Secre- tary Michael Halpenny wrote to Aer Lingus management offering to meet for discussions centring on the Pro- eramme for Continuous Improve- ment, following a four-a-half-hour meeting of shop stewards at Dublin airport last week.
Mr Halpenny said in his letter to the Aer Lingus Human Resources Director Liz White that he request- ing a meeting to “flesh out all of the issues in the Labour Court Recom- mendation”. He said the union offer to enter talks was made “without Ke een ome
If some agreement can be reached, it could avert a possible strike action at Shannon, Dublin and Cork.
The two sides had a lengthy meet- ing which continued into yesterday evening at the airline’s head office in Dublin Airport.
The discussions are expected to
cover some of the most contentious issues, including cutbacks in leave and overtime payments and reduc- tions in payments for bank holiday N00. e
The union is expected to make a strong case for substantial compen- sation for workers affected, although some changes in work practice may be seen as inevitable.
SIPTU represents almost 1,800 workers in Aer Lingus, half of the entire workforce. The union had threatened an ongoing overtime ban and work-to-rule, including with- drawal from callout, except for air-
craft emergencies if the company pushed through cutbacks.
In introducing the plan, the airline iS aiming to cut its cost base and to reduce the overall cost to the com- pany of each employee. The talks coincide with the expected release today of the Aer Lingus annual re- port. It is believed that profits will be down, but this is largely due to the cost allotted to restructuring and to the company addressing the question of the pensions deficit.
Union sources are expecting dis- cussions to go on for as long as three weeks.