Siptu calls off work stoppage which was planned for Monday

Trade union Siptu has called off a work stoppage at Aer Lingus scheduled for Monday.

The move followed clarification on proposals for new talks to deal with a €750 million deficit in the pension scheme which covers workers at the airline and the Dublin Airport Authority.

The new proposals were drawn up jointly by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and employer’s group Ibec.

Siptu sector organiser Dermot O’Loughlin said that its industrial action committee had discussed clarifications and assurances from Ictu and Ibec on their recent mediation proposals.

“On foot of this information the committee decided by a majority vote that it will be accepting the mediation proposal and has called off industrial action planned for next week.”

He said the committee was determined that “it will not engage in any resolution to the current crisis in the pension scheme at Aer Lingus and the Dublin Airport Authority that involves our members being forced to accept productivity measures in return for their pension entitlements”.