IMPACT asks Government to oppose Aer Lingus remuneration package

IMPACT trade union has written to the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar TD, and to the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan TD, requesting that the Government exercises its option as a shareholder in Aer Lingus to vote against the remuneration package for the company’s chief executive and senior management.

In his letter, IMPACT national secretary Matt Staunton said that details in the company’s annual report about the salary and bonus package for the chief executive were an insult to staff. He said that staff faced uncertainty about their pensions and had also been informed of an 80% cut in a gainsharing scheme. Mr Staunton said that this was in stark contrast to the remuneration for the chief executive.

Referring to the Transport minister’s response to a parliamentary question on the issue this week, Mr Staunton wrote “It occurs to me that you are in a position to shape these developments in a more positive way. Aer Lingus shareholders will be asked to vote to approve a number of resolutions at the AerLingus AGM on 2nd May. As a significant shareholder, the Government would be in a position to vote against the resolution No.2, the consideration of the remuneration report.”

Read the full letter to Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar here. The letter to Minister for Finance Michael Noonan is available here.

Separately IALPA, the pilots’ branch of IMPACT, has written to its members with shares in the airline, asking them to vote against the remuneration resolution at the company’s AGM.

IALPA president Captain Evan Cullen wrote, “Given the extraordinary levels of management bonus on the back of pay cuts and a refusal to pay the greenfield gainsharing IALPA recommends the following: That all members voting would exercise their votes against resolution number 2 ‘Consideration of the remuneration report.“

IALPA also recommended that members vote in favour of the re-election of Ictu general secretary David Begg to the board of Aer Lingus.

The Aer Lingus AGM takes place on Friday, 2nd May at the Radisson Hotel, Dublin Airport at 2pm.

09.04.14