Skip to content
Branch News

SR Technics unions demand to meet board in Dublin next Monday

Date Released: 10 Mar 2009

Unions at SR Technics, the troubled aircraft maintenance plant in Dublin facing closure with the loss of nearly 1,200 full-time jobs, have demanded to meet the board of the company. It is due to meet in Switzerland next Monday but the unions are calling for the meeting to be transferred to Dublin so that the directors can explain to them “why they are making such a derisory offer”, SIPTU Branch Organiser Pat Ward said after today’s meeting.

“Workers feel absolutely betrayed by what has happened. The company had told us it was making €48 million available to fund the redundancy package. However it turns out that this figure includes over €7 million in minimum notice entitlements and the 60 per cent rebate from the exchequer on the statutory redundancy payments staff are entitled to receive anyway.

“The net amount that SR Technics is putting into the kitty for redundancies is €15 million. This works out at less than four days pay per year of service for workers, some of whom have been with the company over 40 years.

“When we pointed out to them that they had committed to use Aer Lingus redundancy terms as the norm for calculating redundancy packages at the plant they denied all knowledge of this until we provided documentary evidence. What they are offering is paltry compared with Aer Lingus rates of six to nine weeks pay per year of service.

“This is a company that is owned by a consortium of the super rich from the United Arab Emirates. Money is not a problem, just the attitude of the owners, who appear to believe that workers are expendable.

“Their offer is nowhere near acceptable and, if they continue to adopt their present stance they will find it will cost them a hell of a lot more in the long run than sitting down and making a serious proposal.”