SHANNON airport is facing disruption with transatlantic flights being cancelled because of Super Storm Sandy and plans by Aer Lingus staff to take strike action which could disrupt all airport services.
Staff at Aer Lingus are planning to strike for two hours on November 19 in an ongoing dispute over a pension fund shortfall. The action is likely to take the form of a series of work stoppages ranging from one hour to 24-hour suspension of services. IMPACT said its members are prepared to down tools as well until the dispute is resolved.
And union representatives have warned that the action could escalate, casting a doubt over Christmas travel plans.
Meanwhile, United Airlines flights Shannon flights to and from Newark were not operating yesterday (Wednesday) but Aer Lingus flights to JFK airport were operating as normal.
Intending passengers are being asked to check the airlines’ website.
Employees of the Dublin Airport Authority are also affected by the shortfall in the pension fund. Strike action was announced this week after talks at the Labour Relations Commission collapsed
Unions representing administrative staff as well as cabin crew estimated that up to 3,000 workers might join the first of what could be a series of stoppages to force the airline’s hand.
“Should there a be failure to engage, there will be a ramping up. This is not just a once off,” said Brian Gormley, regional officer of the Unite union which represents 200 maintenance staff at the airline.
The DAA and Aer Lingus pension scheme had a €700 million deficit at the end of last year.
A series of talks over several months at the LRC has failed to find a compromise solution between the parties. SIPTU, representing 2,764 Aer Lingus workers, excluding pilots, deferred threatened strike action earlier this month to allow negotiations on the pensions issue to take place at the LRC. However, those talks ended when the LRC indefinitely adjourned the talks
Ryanair, the largest shareholder in Aer Lingus with a 30 percent holding, has offered to lease aircraft to its rival to enable it to avoid flight disruptions during the November 19 day of industrial action.
Aer Lingus currently operates four flights out of Shannon on its winter schedule, to the US and Britain. If agreement is not reached and the action escalates into December, Christmas homecoming plans could be disrupted for thousands of passengers.
