Aer Lingus withdraws threat over union representatives

AER Lingus has withdrawn a threat to stop recognising Siptu staff representatives and apologised to the “majority” of well-behaved staff. The threat, reported by the Sunday Independent earlier this month, came as a row over work practice changes at Dublin ground operations escalated.

The airline’s director of employee relations and change, Sean Murphy, emailed union officials to withdraw the threat “in the interest of creating the conditions for further constructive engagement”.

That was followed by a letter on Wednesday from Murphy to outline the airline’s ground operations “vision”. In it he said the cost to turn around Aer Lingus aircraft at Dublin was 50pc higher than that of short and long-haul rivals, meaning its cost base is “uncompetitive by €12.1m per year”.

“We cannot absorb a ‘double whammy’ in terms of pay cost and productivity loss, and therefore at a minimum we must address the embedded inefficiencies of our current ramp model,” he wrote.

A new “one team” approach on Dublin’s ramp would actually see staff on average receive a €250 increase, he said. But Murphy also stated that as an employer of almost 5,000 staff it was “not immune to unacceptable behaviours”.

“The few (who are employed alongside us) appear determined to create problems, cause trouble for the company and cause trouble for other colleagues. Their motivations are not aligned to the vast majority of staff in the loading section,” he wrote. “Throughout all our lives we have witnessed how disruptive this type of behaviour can be, in our schools, colleges, sports clubs and on our streets. The workplace is no different. We are determined to challenge this behaviour, identify those who have damaged our vehicles, damaged our equipment and furniture, and who have taken our property.

“To those in the majority, who in any way feel recent correspondences were targeted at them, they were not. For those in the majority who come to work every day and who do their best, who are proud to be Aer Lingus employees and who behave in line with our values, we apologise if in any way you were offended by recent correspondences.”