THE European Parliament has accepted a proposed EU directive on liberalising ground-handling services at EU airports, which Dublin MEPs claim will affect safety standards and job levels at Dublin Airport.
The directive aims to open up airport services such as cleaning, baggage handling and aircraft maintenance to competition over the next few years.
Amendments proposed by MEPs some months ago, designed to guarantee safety standards and jobs, were rejected by the European Council of Ministers.
Labour MEP, Ms Bernie Malone, said the proposal "would mean thousands of job losses throughout Europe in aircraft refuelling, servicing, cleaning, passenger handling and baggage registration. They could also lead to serious deterioration in safety standards."
Council's suggestions have been rejected by everyone involved in the industry, especially airlines and trade unions. Aer Lingus estimates up to 200 jobs would be put at risk if it is forced out of airport ground-handling services. Green Party MEP, Ms Patricia McKenna, said the proposal did not come from users of airports or airport workers "but from the larger transport companies, who are eager to reduce costs and operate more flexibly. The rights of workers are playing second fiddle to the interests of employers."
If the sector was opened up to competitive tendering, "workers would therefore have no job security and no safety net to stop them falling onto the dole queue once their contractors' licences have expired".