Airline unions draft saving plans

UNIONS AT Aer Lingus have drafted alternative cost-cutting proposals to those planned by management in a bid to avoid industrial action at the airline.

The union proposals, which have not been made public, are to be examined by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) over the weekend.

A statement by the National Implementation Body (NIB) issued yesterday evening said the dispute needed to be addressed as a "matter of urgency", and the LRC should report back by Monday at the latest.

It said the LRC should make itself familiar with and explore the potential of "all aspects of alternative measures now being considered without prejudice to either party".

The NIB said the LRC should also take account of the progress being made in discussions continuing in parallel between the Impact union and the company.

Siptu is proposing an alternative to outsourcing arrangements planned by Aer Lingus.

The company's proposals to make 1,250 staff redundant through outsourcing, voluntary redundancy or early retirement is being resisted by Siptu members, who have voted overwhelmingly for strike action.

Impact members, mostly cabin crew, are also involved.

Aer Lingus has given staff until December 15th to respond to the offer, a deadline which Siptu is resisting.

The stand-off is threatening to disrupt Christmas travel plans.

Aer Lingus corporate affairs director Enda Corneille said it accepted the intervention of the LRC but it was "imperative" that by Monday the outlines of any cost-saving plan should yield €50 million in staff-cost savings, and that it was a feasible plan.

He said that Aer Lingus staff had average pay increases of 8 per cent every year for the last three years.

The alternative solutions, he said, must address the "untenable" rates of pay at the airline.

Earlier talks at the LRC between management and unions broke down at the end of last month, with both sides accusing the other of not engaging fully with the process.

The NIB reiterated its belief that unit labour costs within the airline should be "consistent with industry norms", and any alternative proposals should address that issue.