This article is from page 5 of the 2006-04-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 5 JPG
THE POPULARITY of Shannon as Ireland’s low-cost airport continues, with the airport recording a 22 per cent increase in passenger numbers in the first quarter of this year.
According to the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA), for the first quarter of this year, 716,000 passengers used Shannon.
Over the Easter bank-holiday weekend alone, an estimated 40,000 passengers used Shannon – an increase of 28 per cent on last year.
However, the continuing growth at Shannon comes against the background of continuing uncertainty over the airport’s future with a recommendation by the Labour Court on the Dublin Airport Authority’s (DAA) €30 million ‘survival plan’ for Shannon imminent.
The DAA’s Director for Change, John Horgan and Shannon unions, made their case to the Labour Court on the March 24. Workers who decide to remain with the company will receive “substantial lump sum payments”.
Mr Horgan described the package on offer to the airport’s workers “as probably the highest severance package available in Ireland and probably the highest available ever”.
The package gives staff with over 24 years experience a €100,000 pay-off, while it also entitles workers to their company pensions at 55.
The Labour Court has been inspecting proposals by the DAA, which is seeking to cut its workforce at Shannon by 200, through the voluntary redundancy scheme.
“Based on the expressions of interest that we have had, I am completely happy that we will reach our target of voluntary redundancies,” Mr Horgan said.
The company’s proposals for Shannon involve the outsourcing of a number of sections. This is facing stiff opposition from SIPTU, which claims that the proposals would result in the displacement of over two hundred of the existing workforce and their replacement by staff on inferior pay and conditions.