Shannon talks anticipated
by Niall Shanahan
 
Fórsa official Johnny Fox said the development had taken place in the context of unions exercising great flexibility throughout the downturn caused by the pandemic.
Fórsa official Johnny Fox said the development had taken place in the context of unions exercising great flexibility throughout the downturn caused by the pandemic.

Talks are expected to take place between the Shannon Airport Authority and unions, including Fórsa, on the recommendation of the Labour Court, following a unilateral decision to cut pay by 20%, which took effect last September.

 

Unions are seeking an end to the pay cut and a plan to restore money to the members affected by the decision, and say management has continued to break, and failed to implement, a WRC agreement of February 2019.

 

Fórsa official Johnny Fox said the development had taken place in the context of unions exercising great flexibility throughout the downturn caused by the pandemic. The dispute couldn’t be resolved at local level despite a number of conciliation conferences with the WRC. It was referred to the Labour Court and a hearing took place in January.

 

“The court’s recommendation is that the parties engage over a period of six weeks to see if an alternative solution can be found to achieve savings that would remove the need for the pay cut. The employer has issued an invitation, and arrangements are underway to confirm a date for talks,” he said.

 

The court says it will make a recommendation if the parties can’t reach an agreement.

 

The Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a devastating blow to the aviation industry, while Fórsa has warned that thousands of jobs dependent on aviation could be lost permanently unless the Government acts to support the sector though a second summer of inactivity caused by Covid-related travel restrictions.

 

The court has also recommended that Shannon Airport Authority restates its commitment to pay restoration when passenger numbers reach one million, and that the employer and the union group engage in a process to address the ongoing challenges posed by Covid 19.

 

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