WORKERS AT aircraft maintenance firm SR Technics are to protest today over redundancy payments, which are to be much lower than expected. The employee protests will take place at midday outside the Swiss embassy in Dublin.
On February 12th, the Swiss-owned company said it would close its Dublin airport base with the loss of more than 1,100 jobs.
Siptu yesterday described as “totally unacceptable” the € 48 million the company has available for redundancy payments. This would cover just one week of redundancy for each year of service above the minimum statutory redundancy.
According to Siptu, the company is breaching a 1998 commitment to give workers the equivalent of Aer Lingus redundancy packages, estimated to be six weeks’ pay for each year of service. The operation was formerly known as Team Aer Lingus.
Siptu wants to secure continued employment for workers. However, no new operator for the plant has been secured, according to the union. Employees are set to remain at work for a fortnight more than expected, giving the unions more time to explore options for the workers.
“We did achieve some progress in securing agreement from management that the consultation process would continue until March 31st,” Siptu branch organiser Pat Ward said. “SR Technics had wanted to wind up negotiations by March 14th.”
The company and unions have agreed to ask for the assistance of Kevin Foley of the Labour Relations Commission to conclude the talks. SR Technics yesterday agreed to resume employer pension contribution payments, which it stopped paying on February 5th.