15/04/2008

Air Workers Meet Over Strike Action

Air Worker union, SIPTU, are to meet on Tuesday to discuss ways to avert strike action over Aer-Lingus's cost cutting proposals.

The airline's management had given Siptu's 1,800 Aer Lingus workers until 5pm today to sign up to new cost-cutting plans, but the union cannot make a decision on the proposals until its members vote, which can take up to a week.

However, some progress is understood to have been made during talks on the issue and SIPTU will today discuss whether to hold a new ballot on the airline's proposed changes.

Workers had previously voted to take immediate strike action if the Airline imposed its plans without agreement, plunging the airline into immediate shutdown.

It is believed the company is prepared to defer the looming deadline to wait for the outcome of a fresh SIPTU ballot, effectively postponing the prospect of disruptions.

Speaking about the upcoming talks with the airline in the weeks ahead, the Union's General Secretary Joe O'Flynn said: "These will probably be the toughest set of negotiations since the current generation of agreements began over twenty years ago.

"The current economic difficulties are due to factors outside the control of ordinary working people, such as the irresponsible speculation of major financial institutions."

He added it is neither morally nor socially acceptable that ordinary working people be accepted to pick up the tab.

He added that equality of treatment for agency workers was a critical issue as workers at Aer Lingus had found their pay and conditions constantly undermined as they competed with airlines that extensively used agency workers.

(DW/JM)

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