THE AIRCRAFT maintenance firm SR Technics has told trade unions it is seeking reforms of working arrangements, as well as cost-saving measures, to allow it to operate a new contract with Aer Lingus.
The company told the unions that it is seeking agreement on the proposed changes by the end of this week to allow a new line maintenance contract with Aer Lingus to come into effect from the beginning of June.
As part of the proposals, the company, which is based at Dublin airport, is seeking to introduce 12-hour shifts for line maintenance staff.
Union sources said the company wanted to make the operation of such shifts to be compulsory where necessary.
Sources said the unions had reservations about these shifts being made compulsory.
The company has already told staff that it would not be paying the final 2.5 per cent wage increase due under the terms of the national agreement Towards 2016.
However, it is understood that at a meeting yesterday, Bernd Kessler, the group chief executive of SR Technics, signalled that if the unions could produce concrete and tangible alternative measures that would generate similar levels of savings, the company could consider paying increases under the final phase of Towards 2016.
