Sir, - Your reports of December 19th posed questions about the future of Team Aer Lingus. The most important prerequisite to successful outcome in any negotiation is trust. The continued repudiation of letters of guarantee, freely entered into by Aer Lingus and backed by Government, has left not only the management but also the unions with little credibility.
The offer of financial reward to buy these guarantees, which also doubles as a redundancy offer, merely exacerbates an already tense situation. To expect the current proposals to receive detailed examination in calm and positive deliberations is like expecting a turkey to vote for Christmas.
The withdrawal by Aer Lingus from High Court proceedings on the letters of guarantee and the honouring in full of these same guarantees would go a long way to meet the necessary prerequisites for successful negotiations on any future plans for Team Aer Lingus., - Yours, etc.,
From Denis Smyth
Melrose Avenue, Dublin 3.