Aer Lingus industrial action is cancelled

SHANNON will be spared disruption next Monday, after SIPTU announced that Aer Lingus workers will not be taking industrial action as had been planned.

A two-hour work stoppage had been scheduled, related to an ongoing pensions dispute.

 

However, in a statement on Wednesday afternoon, SIPTU announced the stoppage had been cancelled. “SIPTU members at Aer Lingus have decided to call off industrial action planned for Monday, November 19 and enter discussions on a resolution to the crisis in the Aer Lingus/Dublin Airport Authority pension scheme.”

Union spokesman Dermot O’Loughlin said that a meeting of SIPTU’s Industrial Action Committee had discussed clarifications and assurances obtained from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Irish Business and Employers Confederation on their recent mediation proposals.

“The committee discussed, in detail, the clarifications and other assurances the union has received. On foot of this information, the committee decided by a majority vote that it will be accepting the mediation proposal and has called off industrial action planned for next week,” he commented.

While the industrial action has been cancelled, he said there is still no way SIPTU will accept linking increased productivity to pensions. “The committee is determined that it will not engage in any resolution to the current crisis in the pension scheme at Aer Lingus and the DAA that involves our members being forced to accept productivity measures in return for their pension entitlements.”

In a short statement, Aer Lingus welcomed the change of heart. “Aer Lingus welcomes confirmation received this afternoon from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions that the group of unions engaged in the process to resolve the funding issues of the IASS has withdrawn its threat of industrial action.

“The company is now proceeding towards finding an appropriate solution to the pension issues and is immediately re-engaging with the technical group of actuarial and legal advisors and with the Labour Relations Commission.

We can now confirm that we plan to operate our full schedule of services on Monday, November 19. We apologise to our customers for the uncertainty of recent days.”

The dispute centres on a €750 million hole in the Irish Aviation Superannuation Scheme, from which Dublin Airport Authorities (DAA) workers also draw their pensions.