Airport strikers

[redstar]

Lets hear it for the airport unions threatening to strike over Valentines weekend.
After years of resisting industrial action to support the downtrodden, the under-paid and the unemployed they have finally found a cause worth fighting for - 'free flights' for themselves !!

What a shower of complete wasters :mad

I'm sure the travelling public will understand their plight.

 

[Murt10]

The public are just pawns in a game.

If I had a concession or something which I considered vaulable, and which I had held for years and as such formed part of my terms and conditions of office and if my employer decided to take it off me, I would not consider myself being unreasonable, in taking whatever action necessary, including withdrawing my labour, to have this benefit reinstated.

Take the employers position a bit further, why not just impose a 20% pay decrease across the board. Think of the money they will save.

Anyway who cares about "the downtrodden, the under-paid and the unemployed". Let them form their own union to fight their case if they are so minded. It would be interesting to see them withdrawing their labour.




Murt

 

[Leatherarse]

Redstar, methinks that you have the wrong end of the stick.It is not the Union reps that have the cheap flights ,it is the workers. As Murt said it is a perk or bonus that the workers get , and ANY worker who loses a perk would be aggreived. Imagine what would happen if postmen were stopped from accepting tips, if Iarnrod Eireann were also denied cheap travel. The Airport workers claim is valid and I for one although a frequent user will stand behind them.

 

[rainyday]

How much is the benefit worth now, given the recent dramatic reductions in Aer Lingus prices?

 

[AShambles]

RE:

Hearing the unions estimate of the cost will be interesting, saying it's low would mean talking down the lump sum they may be offered in lieu, saying it's high would probably make it more practical to come to some arrangement with aer lingus.
It's not the employer who cut the perk by the way - it's an old arrangement between aer rianta and aer lingus, and it's aer lingus who don't want to provide it anymore.
Does seem to be the case that the airport unions preferred option is threaten to hit the public first rather than following the normal routes what appears to be a contractual dispute.

Suspect it won't be a good old fashioned strike, not the done thing these days, much better to have a long union meeting, delay the flights for a few hours and still get paid. You won't see any of these guys putting their mortgages in jeopardy.

 

[rainyday]

Re: RE:

It's not the employer who cut the perk by the way - it's an old arrangement between aer rianta and aer lingus, and it's aer lingus who don't want to provide it anymore.

Correct - but this doesn't remove the responsibility on Aer Rianta to maintain or buy out the terms & conditions of employment.

 

[AShambles]

Re: RE:

Indeed it doesn't remove Aer Rianta's responsibility, but as far as I know Aer Lingus only announced they were ending the agreement at the end of December, 6 or 7 weeks in semi-state terms (which included the Christmas break) isn't a whole lot of time to try to sort out something that affects that many employees. I would have thought it a bit early to wheel out the industrial action threat. If it in the contract it sounds like it could be sorted out amicably - maybe by handing out some suitably gaudy gold watches to the employees.

Hopefully the government will keep their attitude in mind if they eventually decide what to do on the second terminal.

 

[daltonr]

Re: RE:

Was it actually written into their terms and conditions or was it just a discount Aer Lingus Offered? Many companies provide discounts if you are an employee of some or other big employer. i.e. Discounts at the local restaurant, hair dresser, Travel Agents, Clothes Shop. You just show your employee card for the Towns big factory.

If the business were to withdraw these discounts would the workers have any right to seek compensation from the factory? NO of course not.

This is semi-state employees and unions acting as they always do. Unreasonably.

Now... if when they signed up to the recent split of Aer Rianta they were *explicitly* told that this was a term and condition of employent that's different. But if they just assumed it then tough. Life moves on. Boycott Aer Lingis if you like, but don't blame you're employer for Aer Lingus going Low Fare.

Frankly I'd be much more concerned about the people who are being asked to fork out 50EUR each when their travel agent misspells their name.

Apparently if they only get 1 letter wrong Aer Lingus will change it free of charge. 2 or more letters wrong and it's 50 quid to get it changed.

I stuck with Aer Lingus when they were more expensive than Ryan Air, because I liked their service and the way they treated customers. Now I couldn't care less who I fly with, if they go out of business it wouldn't worry me as much as it would have a year or two ago.

A year ago I needed to change the date I'd be returning from the UK. I asked at the ticket desk in the airport and the guy politely explained that there would be a charge I think it was about 30EUR I can't remember.

But he somehow managed to do it for me for free, I didn't really object to the charge, I just got the impression he was doing me a favour, the flight I was changing to was very lightly booked. I still remember the incident fondly. I doubt I'd get the same treatment today.

I don't think you need to treat passengers like Cargo and
screw every single penny you can for even slight changes like the spelling of the name on the ticket. I don't know the Airline business, perhaps that is the key to success, but I doubt it.

-Rd