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Aer Lingus privatisation exposes folly of partnership
national |
worker & community struggles and protests |
opinion/analysis
Monday April 03, 2006 21:46 by SL - ISN
Once again, the dogmatic urge of the current FF/PD government to sell off another publicly owned company has reared its ugly head. In parallel to this, we see our trade union leadership do nothing but pay lip service to the concerns of the workers involved, showing an abysmal failure to tackle the government head-on in opposition to its plans. |
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Jump To Comment: 1 2 3I realize that Bertie's militarized Easter Parade down O'Connell St. is a relevant issue, but has anyone thought that perhaps it was planned as a "weapon of mass distraction"? It seems like something that might have come from the mind of Carl Rove, rather like cranking up the adrenals of the American people with "gay marriage" bills on the eve of the last Presidential elections. That piece of strategy certainly worked up the populace in Amerika enough to drag wing-nuts from their death beds to the polls, and I see certain parallells here in Ireland with all the energy being poured into events on Easter weekend, so much energy that no one seems to be noticing that the governments accelerating its privatization plans for Aer Lingus, healthcare, and other programs that already DO belong to the Irish.
I understand how much 1916 means here, and it's a subject near and dear to my heart. But isn't it more important to focus on the fact that the government is wholesale hijacking our futures and our childrens futures rather than pouring so much time and scarce resources into countering the government's hijacking of the past?
Could the government be participating in "Influence Operations"?
Just some food for thought . . .
SL - ISN - Your claim that SIPTUs position on the privatisation of Aer Lingus stands in contrast to the position of IMPACT does not stand up to investigation. Thus calling on SIPTUs bureaucracy to intervene with IMPACT is pointless. The positions of the leaders of both unions are similar. Read the following extract from a SIPTU press statement.
Notice of industrial action served on Aer Lingus
Date Released: 05 Apr 2006
SIPTU has served protective notice of industrial action on Aer Lingus this afternoon. “It will be activated if the company proceeds to privatise unilaterally and without prior agreement on the core issues of concern to union members”
“These issues include job security, commitments that there will be no compulsory redundancies or outsourcing, resolution of the pension issues and a number of unresolved long outstanding matters that arise from the business plan. We are also concerned that any floatation of the company does not dilute the employees’ shareholding of 14.9 per cent.
“While we remain in fundamental disagreement with the government’s proposition to part privatise and will be articulating those views before the Oireachtas Committee on Transport tomorrow 6th April at 9.30am, there is now a clear focus on the company to address these serious issues as a matter of urgency,” he concluded.
This statement says that they are "in fundamental disagreement the government’s proposition to part privatise" but what it doesn't say is that SIPTUs leaders are going to organise strike action against privatisation. The statement says that strike notice has been served and will be implemented if SIPTU is not consulted about the privatisation and if it does not get assurances on the protection of jobs, wages and conditions of their members. This is not the declaration of a campaign against privatisation - it is a notice of surrender to the government that SIPTUs leaders will accept the privatisation of Aer Lingus as long as their concerns are met.
As part of your arguments that Aer Lingus should not be floated, you said that in the Eircom float that private investors lost money. True of course, but you would complain much bitterly if the same private investors had made handsome profits on the former State asset! You can't have it both ways, but I am sure you will! If private Investers make money in the Aer Lingus float, you will complain bitterly that this State asset was sold too cheaply. Maybe investers will make a profit, but they certainly deserve to - by risking their money on a volatile Industry.