SR Technics workers march at airport to demand better terms

SEVERAL HUNDRED workers from troubled aviation firm SR Technics held a demonstration at Dublin airport yesterday.

Traffic into the airport was disrupted as protesters marched from the Coachman’s Inn in Cloghran to the old North Terminal in Dublin airport where a letter of protest was handed to Dublin Airport Authority (DAA).

The letter of protest called on the DAA’s board of directors not to pay what workers estimate to be €30 million to SR Technics management in a buy-back as a refund on its lease on a number of hangars at the airport.

The letter also called on the authority to divert the funds to help fill the pensions shortfall.

Last month, the aircraft maintenance firm announced it was closing its operation at Dublin airport, with the loss of more than 1,100 jobs.

John Devlin, an SR Technics employee, and one of the organisers of the march, said: “SR Technics management are walking out with in the region of €50 million owed to the two pension schemes, and are offering us a paltry severance package of two weeks, which is what we are entitled to anyway.

“The Dublin plant is more competitive than the Zurich plant and we wanted to reduce our rate by €10 per hour, but management wouldn’t let us,” he added.

Noel Leonard, who has worked at the plant for 30 years, said: “We apologise to any of the public who might be inconvenienced by today’s march. It’s coming to the time now where we’re going to lose our jobs and this is the only way we have of demonstrating our feelings. We need our pension scheme sorted out. We’re afraid SR Technics will walk away from this with a profit.”

Former Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins, who attended the protest, called on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to take a hard line and insisted the Government nationalise the company.

It emerged this week that the Swiss-owned firm intends to terminate the contracts of up to 600 workers at the company’s aircraft maintenance facility in Dublin airport on April 3rd.

It is understood a further 100 staff at the plant would be kept on until the middle of April and the remaining personnel would stay on the payroll until the end of August.

A statement issued yesterday by SR Technics said the company’s “primary objective” is to find an “equitable outcome” for the workforce that reflects the commercial realities which the firm faces “and the financial constraints which it is under”.

Yesterday’s protest caused some disruption at the entrance to the airport but passengers were largely supportive of the workers.