Noel Dowling has said that SIPTU is "not ideologically opposed" to the Government's plan to sell up to 35% of Aer Lingus to a private investor. Speaking after today's march by 600 Aer Lingus employees through Dublin, the SIPTU National Industrial Secretary insisted that his union was opposed to the sale because it was not the right policy for the airline. He added that it would result in the "firesales of firesales".
This claims were denied earlier by the Taoiseach. Bertie Ahern told the Dáil there will be no forced "firesale" of Aer Lingus. He said that the Government intended to save the company and save as many jobs as possible.
He said that the Government would not be giving just the statutory redundancy terms to workers let go by the airline. He was replying to Labour leader Ruairí Quinn, who accused the Government of having capitulated to the European Commission on the issue of state aid and of conducting a forced fire sale of 35% of the shares in the company.
Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan urged a rethink of the Government's strategy, saying his party would support them if they stood up to the European Commission.
