AER LINGUS has sent a letter to 400 cabin crew warning them that they will be suspended without if they black duty free sales or engage in any other form of industrial action from next Tuesday. A SIPTU spokesman responded last night with a warning that the company could face pickets on all major Irish airports as a result.
The letter is the latest step in a rapidly escalating dispute over the deployment of Delta Airlines personnel on Aer Lingus planes on transatlantic routes. Delta is Aer Lingus's new strategic partner and part of the agreement between the two airlines provides for the use of Delta personnel on these flights.
SIPTU members have served strike notice from next Tuesday. This was expected to result in limited disruption initially and affect services such as duty free sales and in flight services.
However, the company has raised the stakes with yesterday's letter. Signed by Mr Derek Sergison, Flight Services Manager, it states that "cabin crew who refuse to carry out any of their normal duties, including on board service, will be engaging in industrial action and will be immediately liable for suspension and withdrawn from the payroll".
The company is training managers to carry out cabin crew duties and preparing what a spokesman described yesterday, as "other contingency measures to counter any disruption.