Workers Vote On Grounding Aer Lingus Plan

Workers at Ireland's biggest airline are preparing to take a vote on action that could potentially cripple the airline's entire operation - including its new Belfast 'hub' operation.

Aer Lingus announced plans this week to cut its costs by €76 million annually, resulting in the axing of 1,500 jobs in many of its crew bases.

The airline has also proposed a plan to outsource much of its work to outside and foreign workers and begin a tender process for its ground handling operations in 140 airports worldwide.

Although major cuts were expected, union chiefs are furious with the scope of the proposals, calling the move an 'Irish Ferries Mark II' in relation to the controversy that unfolded in 2004, when 100,000 people protested over the sacking of Irish ferry workers amid a cost-cutting drive.

A spokesman from SIPTU's management team said: "This is Irish Ferries Mark II. It represents a 'fire sale' of good quality jobs by a management that can see no further than the next quarter's profit and loss sheet.

"Nobody in the company will emerge unscathed from this exercise. Even those who keep their jobs will have to sign up to new contracts, 'a merit and performance based culture' and a pay freeze until the end of 2009."

However, Aer Lingus Chief Executive Dermot Mannion said that the aggressive and radical cost-cutting plan was crucial to ensure the "future viability" of the airline, which suffered €22m losses in the first half of the year.

(DW)