Aer Lingus announced the closure of its IAG cargo operation at Shannon Airport in August. This followed a review by the parent company International Airlines Group (IAG) which recommended the operation’s closure due to the need for significant capital investment in its property infrastructure and the reduced level of cargo activity at Shannon Airport since the Covid pandemic.
SIPTU representatives and Aer Lingus entered extensive local discussions on the closure and severance terms for the 18 members affected. This dispute could not be resolved locally and was the subject of a conciliation conference under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission and a Labour Court hearing which took place in October 2024.
We managed to secure redeployment for two or our members with Aer Lingus in Shannon Airport while the other 16 received the following severance package as recommended by the Labour Court when operations ceased at the facility on 29th November 2024.
- Six weeks’ pay per completed year of service, inclusive of statutory redundancy, capped at 104 weeks’ pay.
- A service bonus of €15,000 for those with 15 years of continuous service at the date of redundancy.
- The overall amount payable to be capped at €180,000.