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04/12/2007
Talks To Avert Christmas Strike At Aer Lingus Continue
Aer Lingus passengers, those hoping to fly to or from Dublin or from this month Belfast, could be in for a difficult Christmas.
The latest round of fruitless negotiations in the Aer Lingus dispute took place yesterday, with talks running late into last night in an effort to avert the threat of industrial action in the run-up to Christmas.
Despite the meetings taking place under the auspices of the National Implementation Body, which was expected to issue recommendations yesterday, it has not yet done so. However, even though an expected announcement by negotiators yesterday failed to materialise, this is being seen as a sign of progress in some quarters.
There is some hope of a settlement, as union sources say that as no proposals were put forward, this could be taken to indicate a sign of some progress in the talks.
The dispute centres on an Aer Lingus move to introduce allegedly inferior contracts for new employees as part of a €20m cost-cutting plan.
Last month, the parties at Aer Lingus management and the groups of trade unions at the company agreed with the National Implementation Body to a limited extension of the deadline on talks about rationalisation.
The National Implementation Body then held separate meetings with unions and management at the former State airline to clarify the position of both sides in the dispute over proposed cost-cutting measures.
The State's industrial relations trouble-shooter was originally expected to issue recommendations aimed at resolving the dispute no later than Monday – but as negotiations continue today, this hasn't yet happened.
Originally, the planned strike by staff at the airline was suspended late last month, pending the outcome of the NIB review process to deal with the row over the €20 million cost-saving plan.
The airline is scheduled to begin flying from Belfast to Amsterdam, Barcelona and Geneva this month and then in January to London Heathrow and later, in February to Malaga, Budapest, Rome and Faro.
(BMcC)
The latest round of fruitless negotiations in the Aer Lingus dispute took place yesterday, with talks running late into last night in an effort to avert the threat of industrial action in the run-up to Christmas.
Despite the meetings taking place under the auspices of the National Implementation Body, which was expected to issue recommendations yesterday, it has not yet done so. However, even though an expected announcement by negotiators yesterday failed to materialise, this is being seen as a sign of progress in some quarters.
There is some hope of a settlement, as union sources say that as no proposals were put forward, this could be taken to indicate a sign of some progress in the talks.
The dispute centres on an Aer Lingus move to introduce allegedly inferior contracts for new employees as part of a €20m cost-cutting plan.
Last month, the parties at Aer Lingus management and the groups of trade unions at the company agreed with the National Implementation Body to a limited extension of the deadline on talks about rationalisation.
The National Implementation Body then held separate meetings with unions and management at the former State airline to clarify the position of both sides in the dispute over proposed cost-cutting measures.
The State's industrial relations trouble-shooter was originally expected to issue recommendations aimed at resolving the dispute no later than Monday – but as negotiations continue today, this hasn't yet happened.
Originally, the planned strike by staff at the airline was suspended late last month, pending the outcome of the NIB review process to deal with the row over the €20 million cost-saving plan.
The airline is scheduled to begin flying from Belfast to Amsterdam, Barcelona and Geneva this month and then in January to London Heathrow and later, in February to Malaga, Budapest, Rome and Faro.
(BMcC)
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