Aer Lingus along with many other employers continue to use Covid-19 as an excuse to reduce wages and conditions for workers.

Aer Lingus has already cut pay during the pandemic, they have now stated that there will be a further 30% cut as well as mass redundancies.

Cathie Shiels, Workers’ Party representative in Dublin North West said “These cuts are completely indefensible. Aer Lingus has remained in profit for over a decade and has around 900 million euro in reserves.”

“It has been the taxpayer who has payed for the majority of wages during Covid-19 and it is insane to expect the tax payer to believe that Are Lingus cannot survive this crisis without mass layoffs and wage cuts to its workforce.”

Shiels continued “As has been seen throughout the Covid-19 pandemic employers expect workers to carry the burden. The Debenhams workers have been an example in how they have acted and organised to fight against unjust cuts by employers. This current situation only highlights and reinforces how Aer Lingus should never have been sold off to vulture capitalists.”

“The Workers’ Party is demanding that Aer Lingus is re-nationalised now, in the interests of protecting workers during this current crisis but also to ensure that all future profit can be in the control of the state.”