Following an announcement on June 19 that Aer Lingus (EI, Dublin International) planned to cut its workforce by up to 500 people, blaming the "catastrophic" effect Covid-19 has had on aviation, talks aimed at reducing this number have been taking place between the airline's management and Ireland's Services, Industrial, Professional, and Technical Union (SIPTU), local media reported.
Transport Minister Shane Ross urged unions and the company to engage in constructive negotiations.
"Ireland has failed to take steps that other European member states have taken. They have progressively restored transport services and connectivity in response to a European Commission invitation to do so," the airline protested in a statement on June 19.
"The requirement to reduce the size of the airline in response to the crisis means that today Aer Lingus has issued a notification to the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection regarding proposed collective redundancies in the airline. Aer Lingus has informed the minister that headcount reductions of up to 500 employees across the business are anticipated," it added.
In a video briefing on the evening of June 19, Mary Montgomery, head of inflight services, said that from June 21 pay for cabin crew at Dublin International and Cork would fall to 30% of pre-Covid-19 levels, while those based in Shannon would be temporarily laid off until at least the end of August.
This confirmed Aer Lingus' previous warnings. But SIPTU described the announcement as "pouring petrol on the fire of an already difficult industrial relations environment" and demanded an urgent meeting with management at Aer Lingus.
Neil McGowan, the union's chief aviation sector representative, said that the company must allow time for full negotiations and consultations on the planned layoffs, the Irish Examiner reported. SIPTU's aim, he said, is to ensure "as many jobs as possible are kept [...] and that any losses at the company should be voluntary".
On June 22, Aer Lingus operated 24 short-haul flights, down from 259 on the same day last year, including six long-haul flights, down from 34, according to the Irish broadcaster RTÉ.
Cabin crew union Fórsa, which has been conducting a ballot of its members on the proposed redundancies, said it would engage with the carrier's management "with the objective of minimising the number of job losses and protecting the incomes of Aer Lingus staff".
