Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I want to say a word about Shannon. Today, 1 July, is when the official closure and associated redundancies kick in. Within Aer Lingus nationally, workers are facing the threat of a five-year pay freeze, pay cuts, cuts to starting rates, deep cuts to the sick pay scheme and to duty allowances, and so on. This is clearly a reason for workers not wanting to be taken off the books. The company cannot legally change the terms and conditions while they are off the books but it can use the fact that workers are off the books to strengthen its bargaining position and to try to push through changes of that kind. Workers in Cork Airport, not only Aer Lingus workers but all workers at the airport, find it incredible that Deputies Micheál Martin, Coveney and Michael McGrath, and the Tánaiste as a representative of the Government, are not prepared to go beyond a pious wish and apply pressure to the airport employers on this issue. This issue is not going to go away. If anything, it is going to grow louder as we move towards September.

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