Ryanair to help Aer Lingus through a strike

http://www.independent.ie/travel/travel-news/travel-chaos-looms-as-aer-lingus-unions-to-consider-industrial-action-3275903.html

AER Lingus has been hit with a fresh threat of industrial action after talks over a pensions row broke down.
Siptu and Impact trade unions will meet on Tuesday to decide what action to take in the run-up to Christmas after negotiations collapsed at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).
The dispute centres on the Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme, a pension pot which was in deficit by some 700 million euro (£557 million) at the end of last year.

However Ryanair, which owns almost 30% of Aer Lingus, said it supports the former state carrier's stance and would supply aircraft in the event of a strike.
"Ryanair will provide every assistance to Aer Lingus to maintain competition with Ryanair, and defeat these threats of disruption to Aer Lingus schedules by Aer Lingus unions who are yet again seeking to unjustly enrich themselves at the expense of Aer Lingus' shareholders," said spokesman Stephen McNamara.
It also called on the DAA to dismiss any further attempt by its unions to "featherbed" their pension schemes, as any cost increase will inevitably be passed on to passengers.

http://www.ryanair.com/en/news/ryanair-offers-aer-lingus-fully-crewed-aircraft-to-prevent-pension-strike-disruption

Ryanair regards this latest attempt by Aer Lingus unions to bully the airline into making further unjustified contributions to Aer Lingus’ defined contribution pension schemes as industrial blackmail. These claims are totally unjustified coming from a group of unions which already received a gift of €104m into their pension schemes in 2006, on top of receiving 15% of Aer Lingus’ equity at the IPO and a further €35m gift from the airline in 2010 to pay off the ESOT’s bank debts.
Ryanair believes that the shareholders of Aer Lingus have had enough of these repeated cash raids by the Aer Lingus unions. Aer Lingus’ pension schemes are clearly defined contribution, and there is no justification for any further or additional contributions being made by Aer Lingus. Should the Aer Lingus unions again attempt to blackmail the airline using threats of industrial action, then Ryanair will provide Aer Lingus with as many short-haul aircraft at market rates as the airline needs to enable it to continue to fly without disruptions to Aer Lingus passengers, while defending the funds of Aer Lingus shareholders.

“Ryanair is willing to provide whatever aircraft Aer Lingus needs to enable them to avoid disruptions to Aer Lingus’ flights or services should the Aer Lingus unions engage in any industrial relations blackmail over these unjustified pension claims.