Mr. Paddy Kavanagh:

I will not take as long because most of the points have been made and I do not want to repeat them. To summarise, since we last met in November, the situation for our members has continued to deteriorate and has got much worse. Connect not only represents members in the airlines and the airports but also those working in production areas. At the moment, those workers are also experiencing significant lay-offs and redundancies and an inability, particularly among younger workers, to obtain mortgages, etc., because of reduced circumstances. We have seen situations where workers have had agreements for pay, etc., deferred. There are deep concerns about health and safety, particularly the roll-out of vaccines for workers in airports. If people are to be ready for the upsurge, they must be protected for when that comes. We all know about the downturn in figures and the impact of that on numbers. We echo what has been said about increased Government support for the industry similar to what we have seen across Europe. We are calling for some very precise issues that we feel have been missed to be addressed.

No worker should be subject to compulsory redundancy while his or her employer is benefiting from any Government subsidy during the pandemic. The legislation on redundancy means that workers who are currently laid off or on reduced hours cannot avail of voluntary redundancy, yet that time is not counted as service. If we are denying workers the right to voluntary redundancy, that time should be counted as service. This is a serious issue for our members. We would support a system similar to the German kurzarbeitergeld system or even that of Sweden, where workers who continue to work during the pandemic are supported through better terms. In that context, we are concerned about a future skills shortage in maintenance and specialist roles because people are leaving the sector. When the upturn comes, there will be a skills shortage. Our members have particular and precise specialist skills in certain areas and we are concerned that when the upturn comes, which it will, there will be a shortage of skills. In that context, we are asking the State to see this as an opportunity to subsidise the industry for specialist upgrading or maintenance works that could be done to get the airports and airlines ready for the upsurge when it comes. Basically, we support everything else that has been said here.

Approximately one third of our union members are in construction. While construction has been badly hit, we understand that the sector will resume much more rapidly than aviation. Aviation will not be where it was pre-pandemic until 2024 or 2025 according to the latest estimates. Workers in the aviation sector will suffer the longest hit and they must be taken care of with some sort of scheme to ensure that while they remain in the industry, their earnings are protected.