Unite said more than 200 staff are affected
Aer Lingus(Image: LBA)
Airline Aer Lingus has issued a redundancy notice putting more than 200 of its staff at Manchester Airport at risk of losing their jobs, a union has said. The union Unite said the figure included 150 cabin crew.
In a statement issued on Monday, Unite accused Aer Lingus of failing to provide it with any information to support its claim the airline’s operation at Manchester Airport was ‘underperforming’.
Aer Lingus cabin crew based at Manchester are taking industrial action in a pay row, with a four-day strike held last month. Unite, in its statement, said its members have voted for further strikes, but confirmed it has offered to halt any future action ‘in order to properly negotiate with Aer Lingus on the future of the Manchester base’.
As reported, Aer Lingus confirmed it has entered into a consultation process with unions. The Irish flag carrier operates long-haul routes from Manchester to New York JFK, Barbados and Orlando in Florida, as well as flights to Dublin and Belfast.
But the company said its Manchester long-haul operating margin performance ‘continues to significantly lag behind that of Aer Lingus’s Irish longhaul operating margin’. The company has confirmed it has met with staff in talks.
Aer Lingus(Image: PA)
Aer Lingus launched its long-haul flights from Manchester in 2021. Any closure would mean the loss of its flights from Manchester to Disney World in Orlando.
In a statement, Unite said: “The airline has issued a redundancy notice, which has put over 200 workers at risk including 150 cabin crew who are represented by Unite. Aer Lingus claims this is due to the base ‘underperforming’, but has failed to provide any information to support its claim.
“Last year, Aer Lingus recorded an operating profit of €205m and has projected profits of around £35 million from just two aircraft operating three long haul routes at Manchester Airport.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is outrageous that such a profitable airline such as Aer Lingus is proposing to close its base, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. The closure of the base would have a significant impact on workers, their families and the local community, as well as passengers with upcoming flights from the airport. Aer Lingus has serious questions to answer about its decision making and must provide its rationale to Unite immediately.”
Unite regional officer John O’Neill said: “Our members working for Aer Lingus at Manchester Airport are understandably distressed and anxious about their futures. During the dispute, which they have had a legal right and mandate to undertake, they have acted professionally and deserve answers from their employer as to why this base could be closing.
The airline is the Irish flag carrier(Image: Daily Mirror)
“Unite’s focus is now on saving jobs. The union is prepared to pause further industrial action to create space for consultation with Aer Lingus. We are calling on Aer Lingus to do the right thing and work with us in good faith.”
Unite said it formally requested ‘all the required information’ from the company under Section 188 of the Employment Rights Act, along with ‘additional evidence needed for meaningful consultation’. It said it includes the ‘full business rationale, Manchester-specific financials, modelling behind the claim that aircraft could earn more elsewhere, timelines and role breakdowns’.
But the union said Aer Lingus’s response didn’t include the relevant information, saying it meant ‘meaningful consultation cannot take place’.
The Manchester Evening News has contacted Aer Lingus for further comment.
The company said in a new statement on Monday: “Aer Lingus is engaging fully with trade unions and employee representatives to collectively consult over proposals relating to the Manchester base. That consultation is at a very early stage and will explore all options as it progresses. We acknowledge and fully appreciate that this is an uncertain and difficult time for colleagues based in Manchester and we will communicate with the management team and the staff in Manchester over the coming weeks, ensuring that they are kept informed.”
In a statement issued on Saturday to the M.E.N., the airline said: “Aer Lingus can confirm that the company met with staff at its Manchester base to brief them on the performance of the base. Despite all of the work and best efforts of the team, the Manchester longhaul operating margin performance continues to significantly lag behind that of Aer Lingus’s Irish longhaul operating margin. This situation has prompted a necessary consideration of the long-term viability of the Manchester base.
“Colleagues at the Manchester base were advised that Aer Lingus will now enter into a collective consultation process with their representatives. This process will explore all the options in respect of the base, however, staff were also advised that it will also include the possibility of a base closure.
“We acknowledge and fully appreciate that this is an uncertain and difficult time for colleagues based in Manchester and we will work closely with the management team and the staff in Manchester over the coming weeks, ensuring that they are kept fully informed and supported.”