Background information

A restructuring agreement was concluded between the DAA (which operates Dublin and Cork airports) and unions representing over 2,000 staff at the airports.

Prior to union ballots on the agreement in September, DAA chief executive Dalton Phillips set out the collapse in air traffic in Dublin airport with just 0.5 million passengers in August 2020, as opposed to 3.47 million in August 2019. Cork Airport had just 1,200 passengers a day in August, and an average airline load factor of 30%, as opposed to 92% in August 2019.

Content of measure

The ‘New Ways of Working’ agreement provides that no pay increases will be considered until April 2022 “at the earliest” and that grading, equalisation or other retrospective cost increasing claims will not be made during that period. Staff will remain on 80% wages for 80% hours.

The agreement also implements additional cost savings and flexibilities including new ways of working, for example, working across the two Dublin terminals, team-based working, roster changes and responsibility for COVID-19 hygiene. There is also changes to working hours and mandatory annual leave to date, acceptance of change and responsiveness to COVID-19.

Use of measure

The agreement has been accepted by 93% of unionised staff, representing over 2,000 employees of the airport operator.

Craft workers and two small operative groups rejected the restructuring. This includes about 130 craft workers, members of Unite and Connect; about 20 baggage operatives (who oversee the operation of the baggage belts); and a smaller group of airfield operatives, who maintain the runways and airfield. Both groups are represented by SIPTU. These workers were moved to 60% pay and hours (effectively a three-day week) with effect from 11 October 2020.

Contents

• Basic working time
• Employment retention
• Health and safety
• Income protection
• Pay freezes or cuts
• Work organisation
• Working time flexibility

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Sector specific set of companies	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Trade unions Company / Companies	Companies

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Only trade unions
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

A restructuring agreement was concluded between the DAA (which operates Dublin and Cork airports) and unions representing over 2,000 staff at the airports. The unions involved are SIPTU, Forsa, Mandate, Connect and Unite.

Views and reactions

The agreement has been accepted by 93% of unionised staff, representing over 2,000 employees of the airport operator. These staff are represented by SIPTU, Forsa and Mandate, Craft workers and two small operative groups rejected the restructuring.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 14 August 2020: Staff at Dublin and Cork airports to vote on work practice changes (www.irishtimes.com)
• 30 August 2020: DAA 'heading into a wall' says airport boss (www.independent.ie)
• 17 November 2020: SIPTU warns daa over redundancies and reforms (www.rte.ie)