Fórsa seeks dialogue on aviation recovery
by Niall Shanahan
 
The acting head of Fórsa’s Service and Enterprises division, Ashley Connolly, welcomed the report’s recommendation for the development of a new national aviation policy.
The acting head of Fórsa’s Service and Enterprises division, Ashley Connolly, welcomed the report’s recommendation for the development of a new national aviation policy.

Fórsa has welcomed the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications Networks, which has called for the development of a national aviation policy, the maintenance of income supports in the sector, State supports for Covid-19 testing at airports, and the establishment of a State airports authority encompassing Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports.

 

The report, which was launched last week, has gone to the Government for further consideration.

 

Fórsa, which represents several thousand aviation workers in airports, regulatory bodies, international air traffic support and airlines, made a detailed submission to the committee. 

 

Following the report’s publication, Fórsa reiterated its call for a joined-up” approach by the Government to ensure the survival of Ireland’s aviation industry, and called upon minister of state Hildegarde Naughton to pursue a path of social dialogue in order to achieve this.

 

The acting head of Fórsa’s Service and Enterprises division, Ashley Connolly, welcomed the report’s recommendation for the development of a new national aviation policy. “Fórsa has continued to emphasise the strategic importance of our aviation industry since this crisis began. Its survival beyond this crisis demands a well-coordinated and integrated national policy, and for this policy to remain a priority for Government.

 

“To that end Fórsa has continued to emphasise the need for an inclusive approach and this report was produced with input from a wide range of aviation stakeholders.

 

“Fórsa believes the future of Irish aviation relies on extending this approach and utilising social dialogue as the means to making sure we have a sustainable and thriving aviation industry as the world emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

 

The union said state supports for Irish airports, state funding for strategic air routes and engagement with the European Commission, to seek a derogation from state aid rules for emergency funding to Irish airports, were measures that could be more successfully pursued if developed through a platform of social dialogue.

 

“The recommendations demand some heavy lifting by the Government, with no room for half-measures or oversights on specific policy issues. Working together through a social dialogue model would ensure that all the available expertise and stakeholder knowledge about how to protect our aviation infrastructure is employed in the process of delivering on these recommendations,” said Ashley.

 

Fórsa said measures to maintain the link between employers and employees in the aviation sector, through the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and other state supports, was also welcome, but must be provided on the basis of no compulsory redundancies of staff, or any offshoring of work currently undertaken by workers in Ireland.

 

The union said the recommendation for the Government to provide support to ensure that PCR testing is priced competitively and affordably was welcome, and responded directly to a concern raised by Fórsa when it presented to the Oireachtas network in November. “A cap of €50 per test removes what is currently a substantial cost barrier to those who need to travel.

 

“This measure, in addition to pre-departure testing requirements for travellers from “orange” and “red” regions, and the development of a traffic light system for countries outside of the EU, would allow greater numbers of passengers to travel responsibly and safely with greater peace of mind,” Ashley said.

 

She added that the union gave a guarded welcome to the report’s recommendation to re-establish a State airports authority, encompassing Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports, with the three state transport companies operating under the overall umbrella of the parent company.

 

“While the reintegration of Shannon into the DAA group would be more desirable, this measure nevertheless recognises the need to maintain a co-ordinated approach to ensure each of these airports operates on a sustainable footing to get beyond the current crisis,” she said.

 

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