THE TRADE union movement is strongly lobbying the Government to establish a new mediation process in the next few days aimed at averting a potential strike at Aer Lingus over plans by the company to outsource more than 1,200 jobs.
Informed sources said intensive moves were under way by trade union leaders in an attempt to have the Government put a new process in place by the weekend. This could involve either the Labour Court or the National Implementation Body, the main troubleshooting mechanism under social partnership.
Siptu, the largest trade union at Aer Lingus, is to announce the results of a ballot on industrial action at the airline on Friday.
Aer Lingus is also expected to give details of its preferred out-sourcing supplier in the next few days. It is seeking to save €50 million on its staffing costs under the new reform plans. It has set a deadline of December 1st for agreement on the cost-cutting moves.
In addition to offering redundancy or a transfer to a new company to its ground operation personnel, the airline is also seeking to introduce new cabin crew recruited in the United States on some of its transatlantic services.
Talks between Aer Lingus and Siptu on alternative measures collapsed last week. Separate talks with the trade union Impact on the cabin crew outsourcing proposals are continuing.
Aer Lingus last week accused Siptu of failing to engage in the talks in a meaningful way. Siptu rejected this claim. National industrial secretary Gerry McCormack said the union had sought to agree the terms of a redundancy package before engaging on alternative cost-cutting proposals.
Mr McCormack said Siptu remained opposed to outsourcing. "Should the company proceed unilaterally with its outsourcing plans, we will proceed in turn with industrial action," he said.