Aer Lingus head office workers want to stall jobs cuts talks pending consultations between the Irish carrier’s parent International Airlines’ Group (IAG) and its European trade union council.
IAG’s European works council is seeking consultations with the Spanish-based airline group on Aer Lingus’s plans to cut 500 jobs, including pilots, cabin crew and head office staff, a move the Irish carrier opposes.
Trade union Fórsa, which represents head office staff, told Aer Lingus this month that it was not in a position to take part in redundancy consultations required by Irish law, where that could prejudice the works council bid to consult with IAG, which could go before the Spanish courts.
Aer Lingus’s “proposed compulsory redundancies are plainly a transnational matter”, obliging IAG to inform and consult with its European works council, according to a letter from Fórsa to the Irish airline.
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European law obliges multinationals to consult with works councils on transnational issues, including restructuring, across European Union states and the European Economic Area.
However, Aer Lingus argues that its proposals are not transnational, so there is no obligation to consult with the works council.
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The airline said it was consulting with workers in line with its obligations under Irish law.
News that Fórsa wants to stall that process pending the outcome of European works council consultations follows reports that Aer Lingus clashed with pilots over the same issue.
Trade union the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association told members that its meeting with Aer Lingus ended after 12 minutes after management departed following a dispute over the works council consultation.
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Both sides subsequently exchanged correspondence over the question and are seeking to meet in coming days.
While Fórsa raised the works council consultations with Aer Lingus, the union and Siptu have met the company to discuss its proposals to cut up to 290 head office jobs.
A source close to the talks noted that they were constructive.
Earlier reports suggested that Fórsa had not raised the works council issue.
Aer Lingus plans to cut up to 500 jobs to reduce costs so it can increase margins, the difference between day-to-day spending and revenue, to 12 to 15 per cent, to meet IAG targets.
The carrier lost €34 million in the first half of the year as costs mounted. However, it earned €69 million in the three months to June and expects to make a profit this year.
European works councils bring together representatives of staff and management in multinational businesses in the EU.
While multinationals with operations in more than one EU state must consult with works councils, those organisations cannot orchestrate industrial action. Their powers relate mostly to information and consultation.
IAG is registered in Spain, where it owns airlines Iberia and Vueling, but much of the business is run from the UK, home to its biggest subsidiary, British Airways.
Fórsa also represents Aer Lingus cabin crew, a group from which the airline could cut up to 140 jobs. However, the union and company has yet to meet to discuss this part of its proposals.
