AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE firm Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland (LTAI) has told trade unions it is seeking to enter negotiations on a range of flexibility and reorganisational measures.
LTAI requested the group of unions at its plant in Rathcoole, Co Meath, to engage in “serious and constructive” talks to agree measures that can maintain competitiveness and put it in a position to secure future investment. LTAI stated that redundancies are not on the table at this time.
The 456 staff at the plant are represented by the Unite, TEEU and Siptu unions, who met LTAI on Wednesday and rejected a document on production maintenance operations. A spokesman for Unite said the unions would try to arrange a meeting with LTAI management next week.
In a letter dated February 12th which was sent to unions, company board members and staff and Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan, LTAI says the unions’ refusal to enter into negotiations on the proposal was “unprecedented”, bearing in mind the difficulties facing the aviation sector.
LTAI says “realistic negotiations” would assure its board in that investment in Ireland was the right decision at a time when it had “many alternatives”.
TEEU regional secretary Ian McDonnell said if a “more realistic template for negotiations” were put forward, the union would be prepared to engage in talks.
He said the document rejected on Wednesday contained specific changes to work practices and terms and conditions rather than being a template for negotiations.
“By releasing this statement today, we feel that they are taking advantage of the recent tragic jobs losses at SR Technics,” he said.
