February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Andrew Bushe
DUBLIN — A third one-day strike in a month that threatened to again ground all Aer Lingus’s planes on Thursday has been called off by the SIPTU trade union.
SIPTU averted mass cancellations at the last minute on Tuesday when it suspended action by the company’s 3,000 clerical and operative staff pending a ballot on recommendations from the Labor Court.
Most of the company’s planes were grounded on March 30 and April 6 as the SIPTU members demanded a new "catch-up" deal on an agreement hammered out before Christmas.
The Aer Lingus Board met in a special emergency session on Monday to discuss the deteriorating financial situation in the company.
A series of 24-hour strikes by staff have cost £2 million a day and impact of the foot-and-mouth crisis and the worldwide economic downturn have severely hit bookings.
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The mounting problems are also hitting prospects of a privatization of the state-owned airline. It desperately needs cash to replace its aging fleet.
Following its meeting, the board announced an immediate recruitment ban and a review of its flight schedules "to match capacity with revised traffic forecasts."
The company will brief Enterprise Minister Mary O’Rourke on the worsening financial situation and she will report to the cabinet about the problems in Aer Lingus and other public utilities being hit industrial-relations difficulties.
Power workers have told the ESB they plan to strike on April 23 in support of a 28 percent pay raise and train drivers could again hit rail services.
A drought of Guinness stout is also threatened by an April 12 strike about a brewery closure in Dundalk. The 16,500-strong Association of Secondary Teachers will also be discussing their 30 percent dispute ballot during their Easter conference.
The SIPTU staff had been awarded pay increases last November and December.
However, cabin crew, who are members of the rival IMPACT union, had since negotiated a wage deal with the airline after they held a series of one-day stoppages.
This led to the SIPTU clerks and operatives seeking to maintain their pay relativity. A spokesman said they will vote on the Labor Court recommendation in the second week in May.