Leadership

Aer Lingus seeks to reassure customers

30.07.2010
Aer Lingus has sought to reassure customers that their travel plans will not be disrupted by the row which has developed between cabin crew and the airline over the implementation of its cost-cutting plan.

The IMPACT trade union announced yesterday that it was balloting cabin crew members at Aer Lingus for industrial action due to a dispute concerning revised working hours.

In a statement, the airline said it was disappointed that the IMPACT trade union had decided to ballot cabin crew on the company’s €97m ‘Greenfield’ cost-saving programme “for a third time”.

“The airline wishes to reassure its customers that there will be no disruption to their travel plans whatsoever arising out of this latest development,” it said in a brief statement.

The dispute centres around changes to cabin crew working conditions through the implementation of Aer Lingus’€97m cost-saving plan.

“The company sought an increase up to 850 hours in flight time for cabin crew, which formed part of the agreement that was signed off in March this year (Greenfield cost-saving plan). The details were to be finalised at the Labour Relations Commission. Cabin crew believes that the 850 hours flight target is achievable within the terms of existing agreements and the contracts of employment of cabin crew,” explained IMPACT official Christina Carney.

“We see no reason for the company to breach those contracts and agreements in order to achieve this. However, the airline has proceeded unilaterally to force changes to cabin crew workers’ terms and conditions of employment,” she said.