Workers at SR Technics to lose jobs from April 3rd

MANAGEMENT AT the aircraft maintenance company SR Technics, which is to close its operation at Dublin airport, has told unions that up to 600 of its 1,135 strong workforce will lose their jobs on April 3rd.

It is understood the unions were told yesterday that a further 100 staff at the plant could be kept on until the middle of next month and that the remaining personnel would stay on the payroll until the end of August.

Talks between unions and management on a redundancy deal for workers and on pension issues broke down after three hours yesterday. The issues will now go to the Labour Relations Commission.

Siptu branch organiser Pat Ward said: “The company told us they were not in a position to improve on their redundancy offer of less than one week on top of the statutory entitlements to the workers. Nor was the company prepared to give undertakings to meet the shortfall in the pension fund. Its representatives would not even confirm or deny the figure of €26 million given for the shortfall in media reports.”

Siptu said that it would be demanding that the Dublin Airport Authority refuse to pay about €20 million being sought by the company as a refund from its lease on hangers.

The union said that it had been told by the IDA yesterday that a short list would be drawn up from 30 expressions of interest in the SR Technics plant. The firm said it would not make money from the closure of the Dublin plant and the sale of its assets. It said could not detail any of the proposals for the plant from third parties.

The redundancy package was limited by funds available to the wider SR Technics Group under a restructuring programme.

“As part of this restructuring programme, SR Technics Group Zurich has made the required funds available for the redundancy package which has been offered to the Dublin workforce.

“SR Technics also commits that the winding down of the company will not result in net proceeds leaving SR Technics Ireland but will require an injection of funds from SRT Group including the consideration from the sale of the hangers.”