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Tánaiste says it would make sense for Aer Lingus to keep almost 200 Cork Airport-based employees on wage supports

Thursday, 1 July 2021 13:05

Speaking in the Dáil in the past hour Leo Varadkar said the issue is a matter for the airline and is encouraging Aer Lingus to engage with their employees. 

It's after Cork TD Mick Barry said 198 ground and cabin crew should be kept on the company's books while the airport is closed.

Cork Airport is due to close for ten weeks from September to November while the main runway is being upgraded. 

Aer Lingus announced that the employees at their Cork base would be laid off without pay while the works are underway. 

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar says the matter is an industrial relations issue: 

"Certainly if it is possible for them to keep those staff on the payroll using the wage subsidy scheme, that would make sense to me. They might be on a reduced income, but at least they would still be on the payroll and still be connected to the company, however it might not be that simple. You'll know what happened with the base in Shannon, for example, where Aer Lingus made it very clear that they would have closed the base in any case, even if there was no pandemic."

 

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