Several hundred workers from troubled aviation firm SR Technics held a demonstration at Dublin Airport today.
Traffic into the airport was disrupted for a period as protesters marched from the Coachman's Inn in Cloghran to the old North Terminal in Dublin Airport where a letter of protest was handed to Dublin Airport Authority (DAA).
The letter of protest called on the DAA’s board of directors not to pay what workers estimate to be €30 million to SR Technics management in a buy-back as a refund on its lease on a number of hangers at the airport.
The letter also called on the authority to divert the funds to help fill the pensions shortfall.
Last month, the aircraft maintenance firm announced it was closing its operation at Dublin Airport, with the loss of more than 1,100 jobs.
John Devlin, an SR Technics employee, and one of the organisers of the march said: "SR Technics management are walking out with in the region of €50 million owed to the two pension schemes, and are offering us a paltry severance package of two weeks, which is what we are entitled to anyway".
"The Dublin plant is more competitive than the Zurich plant and we wanted to reduce our rate by ¤10 per hour, but management wouldn't let us," he added.
Noel Leonard who has worked at the plant for 30 years said: “We apologise to any of the public who might be inconvenienced by today’s march. It’s coming to the time now where we’re going to lose our jobs and this is the only way we have of demonstrating our feelings.”
“We need our pension scheme sorted out. We’re afraid SR Technics will walk away from this with a profit.”
Former Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins, who attended the protest, called on Ictu to take a hard line and insisted the Government nationalise the company.
It emerged this week that the Swiss-owned firm intends to terminate the contracts of up to 600 workers at the company’s aircraft maintenance facility in the airport on April 3rd.
It is understood a further 100 staff at the plant would be kept on until the middle of April and the remaining personnel would stay on the payroll until the end of August.
A statement issued this evening by SR Technics said the company’s “primary objective” is to find an “equitable outcome” for the workforce that reflects the commercial realities which the firm faces “and the financial constraints which it is under.”
It added that the redundancy package and the company’s ability to fund the pension scheme “is limited by the financial resources available to the wider group in the context of severely challenging market conditions”
The protest caused some disruption at the entrance to the airport but passengers were largely supportive of the protesting workers.
A number of passengers were forced to leave their cars and had to walk to the departure terminal.
Carolanne Cantwell, who was travelling to Amsterdam said “They should go for it. Fair play to them, I hope it works out for them.”
However, Lisa Maher was “hugely inconvenienced” and had to walk half a mile to reach the terminal.
Shane Durkin from Cavan - who had walked for 15 minutes and was travelling to New York - said “They have to do what they have to do. I was let go before Christmas but sure I’m getting on with it and having a good time. Sure it’s a great day for the walk”.
