SIPTU members employed by Aer Lingus in ground operations at Dublin airport have voted by 82% to reject proposals by the company to reduce costs and change work practices in order to offset losses incurred by the airline due to the Covid-19 pandemic. SIPTU Sector Organiser, Niall Phillips, said: “Prior to this ballot union representatives and Organisers engaged with management at the company concerning changes it wished to implement due to the losses the company incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. Our members have clearly rejected what was proposed to them.” He added: “Workers in the aviation sector have been severely affected by the Covid-19 crisis. Many have been laid off for long periods of time, others saw significant reductions in their working hours and hundreds have been made redundant across the sector.” SIPTU TEAC Division Organiser, Karan O Loughlin, said: “While the majority of our members in Aer Lingus who rejected this proposal continue to work at 80% of their normal hours, we can’t forget that there are many others still on short-time work or lay off. “Our members accept that the aviation industry suffered significant losses due to the pandemic but so did its workers. They believe that this not been adequately recognised by the company. The only way for a meaningful recovery in Aer Lingus is for both workers and the company to have the same opportunity to recover.” She added: “Permanent cuts to workers’ terms and conditions is not the way to achieve this. The sort of one sided recovery which was proposed by the company is not acceptable to our members and is clearly not the way forward.” SIPTU organises approximately 1,100 workers employed by Aer Lingus as ground crew in Dublin airport.
SIPTU members reject Aer Lingus proposals for cuts and work practice changes
