Sir, Currently Aer Lingus, my employer, are entering agreements with many airlines in an effort to expand. These initiatives we welcome and fully support. However, as part of these negotiations, a policy has been introduced to bargain cabin crew jobs as part of these agreements. This policy will not be tolerated by cabin crew.
In the last five months the company proposed that certain flights Manchester/Zurich and Brussels would be crewed by non Aer Lingus personnel. However, after protracted and lengthy negotiations, we succeeded in securing these positions for Aer Lingus cabin crew.
Following these discussions, Aer Lingus entered into agreement with Delta Airlines which we welcome. Sadly, again, part of this agreement included Delta cabin crew on our New York flight.
At the present time, the company intend to introduce an additional flight to New York and this will be crewed by British Caledonian crew. This position is extremely serious, as the future position of Aer Lingus cabin crew becomes a bargaining tool for our management. I might add that our Government consider it unnecessary to provide working permits for non EC i.e., Delta Airline personnel, and the fact that these employees occupy Irish jobs without contributing any taxes should be of great concern to the 300,000 unemployed in, this country.
Given the extraordinary tax incentives and job subsidisation to the tune of £8,000 per job by this Government to foreign companies to encourage job creation, it seems incredible that Mr Lowry can stand idly by while Aer Lingus, under his remit, is willing to hand over jobs to foreign airlines.
Given the financial support combined with the huge personal contributions made by Aer Lingus staff to secure this company's future and our determination to ensure its future success, it makes us all the more determined to protect existing jobs and ensure that future job creation will benefit the Irish economy and in particular the many unemployed in this country. Yours, etc., Westminster Lawns, Foxrock, Dublin 18.