FLS to respond on key TEAM issues

FLS chairman Mr Steffen Harpoth is to respond today to questions concerning wages and staffing put to him yesterday by trade union officials representing workers at TEAM Aer Lingus.

At a meeting in Dublin which lasted just under two hours, more than 30 union representatives questioned the Danish businessman about his company's attitude to redundancy terms, wage increases due under Partnership 2000, pensions and other issues. Workers at TEAM must decide on Friday whether they will accept an offer of £54.4 million for their letters of guarantee. These letters state that they can remain as Aer Lingus employees if anything happens to TEAM. A decision in favour is needed if the sale of the company to FLS is to go ahead, although it is still unclear what majority is needed. Mr Harpoth told the union representatives he was there to listen to their questions and not to give immediate answers. Afterwards he described the meeting as positive and constructive and said he would be responding to the questions raised.

The acting co-ordinator of the trade unions at TEAM, Mr Eamon Devoy, said Mr Harpoth would be contacting him "first thing in the morning" and he would then inform the workforce of Mr Harpoth's response.

"People want to feel that if they are going to new employment they can feel secure," Mr Devoy said. He said Mr Harpoth indicated he might have a positive response to the workers' concern on wages. TEAM employees want a 2.5 per cent increase, due under Partnership 2000, to be paid as soon as they transfer to the new company. The union representatives also raised the issue of redundancies. Although redundancies were not expected, the workers wanted some information about what would happen in a worst case scenario.

In relation to redundancy payments, Mr Harpoth had said they would pay the industry norm for Ireland. "We want to know what that means," Mr Devoy said. Another issue which was raised was early retirement.