'Devastated' workers demand explanation from Aer Lingus

Shannon meeting:Aer Lingus workers were told yesterday at a heated meeting at Shannon airport that 45 company jobs at the airport may be lost arising from its decision to end its Shannon-London Heathrow service from next January.

At the meeting, Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion confirmed to workers that the Shannon-Heathrow service was profitable.

He also accepted that the company did not approach the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) for improved terms on the service before deciding to pull out.

After the 75-minute meeting, workers expressed their anger that Mr Mannion had provided no business rationale as to why Aer Lingus was transferring the Heathrow service from Shannon to Belfast.

Cabin crew manager Paul Dalton claimed Mr Mannion had said nothing of substance at the meeting and had kicked all questions to touch.

"He said that he didn't want to get into any negotiations today. We're as wise now as we were before we came in."

At the meeting, Mr Mannion was heckled and told to "go to Stormont". Mr Dalton said: "He was left in no doubt that there is anger and extreme disappointment amongst the workers. The decision is a real blow to morale."

After the meeting, Mr Mannion said ending the Shannon-London Heathrow service had been a very difficult and sensitive commercial decision for Aer Lingus.

He said the meeting had been very difficult, as had been expected. "The decision that is made today is firm. Nothing is certain into the future, but the decision is made for today.

"We have limited availability both in terms of aircraft and slots at Heathrow and at this point in time, we have had to make the very difficult decision to reallocate slots from Shannon-Heathrow to Belfast-Heathrow, beginning in January 2008."

Cabin crew manager John O'Shea said Mr Mannion had avoided any question about the future of the base, which was upsetting for workers.

"The future of Aer Lingus at Shannon? We don't know that beyond the next six months."

Aer Lingus currently employs about 280 people at Shannon. Mr O'Shea said Mr Mannion confirmed that the value of the four Shannon-Heathrow slots was about €80 million.

Cabin crew member Eva Harrison said: "We cannot understand why €80 million of an asset is being exported out of the Republic from a market where Aer Lingus runs a profitable operation in a monopoly situation to a highly competitive one in Belfast.

"The atmosphere amongst the workers is dismal. People are devastated. No answers were given about anything."

Ms Harrison had worked the Shannon-London route over the past seven days and the aircraft were "jammed with so many people getting onward connections. It is a decision that doesn't make any sense and is leaving us on this side of the country so isolated."

Mr Mannion told the meeting that Aer Lingus was currently leasing two Heathrow slots to other airlines.

Ms Harrison said Mr Mannion declined to confirm the number of job cuts involved. A senior management official, Dick Butler, confirmed the figure of 45.

Mr Mannion acknowledged the disappointment among staff and the business community in Shannon. He asked that people judge the airline's decision "against our very strong ongoing commitment on long haul where we have published a very aggressive schedule for winter 2007".