Siptu, Aer Lingus to meet on Monday

Siptu and Aer Lingus management are to meet on Monday morning to discuss Labour Court recommendations on proposed changes in …

Siptu and Aer Lingus management are to meet on Monday morning to discuss Labour Court recommendations on proposed changes in work practices at the company.

Siptu shop stewards are meeting to consider planned changes to work practices at Aer Lingus.
Siptu shop stewards are meeting to consider planned changes to work practices at Aer Lingus.

The union's National Industrial Secretary Michael Halpenny said, following a lengthy meeting of shop stewards in Dublin Airport today, he had offered to meet the company "to flesh out all of the issues in the Labour Court Recommendation".

Aer Lingus later agreed to the meeting which will take place at 10.30am, Siptu said.

The Labour Court has recommended that staff at Aer Lingus be compensated for planned changes to work practices.

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The court said the company had broken "the spirit and the letter" of collective agreements with trade unions. However, it said it was satisfied the company needed to make further cost savings and made a number of far-reaching recommendations that would facilitate such moves by the airline.

In recommendations issued on Monday, the Labour Court said the parties could "usefully put in place new structures" for a "partnership approach" to managing change.

Aer Lingus, which floated on the stock exchange last September, sought to introduce new terms of employment for recently recruited employees, claiming it needed to cut costs at the company.

The so-called Programme for Continuous Improvement, which was the subject of the dispute, contained proposals for "significant diminution in established conditions of employment", the Labour Court said.