Industrial Action Threats

AER LINGUS

Aer Lingus staff vote to strike

Staff at Aer Lingus have voted to take strike action if the airline proceeds with a plan to cut up to 1,500 jobs.

The Irish carrier plans to outsource ground operations, shut bases in Shannon and Heathrow and use US crews on some longhaul routes to save £60 million.

SIPTU members voted on Friday by more than 80 per cent to take industrial action up to and including strike action.

Aer Lingus has set a December 15 deadline for staff to accept voluntary severance or early retirement.

The airline expressed its disappointment at the result of the trade union ballot.

ALITALIA

Alitalia pilots and cabin crew to strike

Five unions representing Alitalia’s pilots and cabin crew are to hold a one-day strike in protest at a takeover of the stricken carrier.

They asked for an urgent meeting with the CAI investor group ahead of the proposed strike on November 25.

The consortium of Italian businessmen was the only group bidding in Alitalia’s third attempt at a sale and made a binding offer for the assets last week.

The takeover offer is subject to approval by Alitalia’s bankruptcy commissioner, who hopes to wrap up a deal this month since the airline’s cash reserves are expected to last just a few more weeks.

Once the deal with CAI is sealed, the next step will be to bring in a foreign airline to help run Alitalia, together with the fleet of domestic rival Air One.

On Friday, BA chief executive Willie Walsh expressed strong interest in forming a commercial alliance with a restructured Alitalia.

“I believe we have made a very credible and potentially exciting proposition for the new company,” he said.

1L.