MOST craft trade union officials invited to an information meeting at TEAM Aer Lingus yesterday failed to attend, following representations from their shop stewards and members.
Those who did, along with representatives from SIPTU and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, heard that the company was meeting its targets under the five year Government rescue plan and might be able to pay a 1.5 per cent pay rise next July.
The craft unions are to meet their 1,050 members at TEAM next Friday to review the industrial relations situation. Meanwhile the company is to press ahead with information meetings with unions and staff: the next takes place later today.
All but one of the craft unions are understood to have notified TEAM at short notice that their officials would not attend the meeting. The exception was AGEMOU, expelled from the craft group for adopting an independent line.
The craft shop stewards are understood to have told their unions they would be unhappy if there were formal meetings while a wide range of industrial relations problems remained unresolved at shop floor level. These include the use of contract labour, early retirement for workers over 55, and changes in work practices.
The company's chief executive, Mr Donnchadha Hurley, is understood to have indicated that up to 50 early retirements could be granted in 1996. The unions were also told that the operating loss for 1995 was £4.6 million.
The total losses came to £9.4 million when debt servicing was taken into account.
TEAM expects to be able to pay a once off lump sum equivalent to 2 per cent of pay next April. While the existing two year pay freeze will remain in place the unions were also told that if production gains exceeded the rescue plan targets, these would be rewarded with pay rises.
It was indicated that TEAM might exceed targets by around 1.5 per cent by July, in which case a 1.5 per cent pay rise could be possible.