Dublin Airport worker dispute
Deputy Paul Murphy criticised Aer Lingus and Dublin Airport Authority over attacks on workers' conditions and airport delays. The Tánaiste said any Government intervention would have to go through the Workplace Relations Commission or the Labour Court.
Earlier, my colleague, Deputy Barry, raised the horrific treatment by Aer Lingus of its workers. Unfortunately, they are not the only group of workers within aviation facing severe attacks on their terms and conditions.
The management of Dublin Airport Authority took advantage of the pandemic to ram through a series of attacks on workers' terms and conditions and to undermine them. The consequences of the so-called new ways of working were clearly evident a couple of weeks ago when there were massive queues at security in Dublin Airport. Now, the only group of workers who rejected the new ways of working document, namely, the craft workers, are facing the prospect of all their jobs being outsourced. All of their jobs have been advertised as being outsourced. This is an incredible attack on workers in a semi-State company. They voted overwhelmingly, and correctly, for industrial action and are prepared to take action to defend their jobs and their terms and conditions. The question is will the Government will intervene to defend these jobs.
Comment on this
The mechanism by which the Government can intervene in an industrial relations dispute is through the Workplace Relations Commission or the Labour Court. Both are offices of my Department and both are available to the workers and the company involved if there is a willingness to engage.