METRO FREE Thursday, October 8, 2009 Win! Win! Regina Spektor & David Gray tickets MetroLife: Page 12 AER Lingus management and trade unions were facing a bitter dispute yes- terday over plans for 676 job cuts as part of nearly 100million in cost savings. The airline yesterday briefed staff on the pro- posed redundancies among pilots, cabin crew and ground staff, with pay cuts for those earning more than 35,000 a year, warning the measures are needed to compete with rivals. About 489 lay-offs will hit pilots, ground han- dlers and cabin crew, with a further 187 redun- dancies at head office and in support areas. Gerry McCormack, Siptus national industrial secretary, said: Job cuts seem to be extreme and draconian and an over-reaction to the current dif- ficult economic climate. Impact, which represents 1,500 cabin crew, de- scribed the cuts as radical and severe. That the proposal also contains such a significant number of cabin crew job losses is deeply unfair and dev- astating to our members, a spokesman said. The Unite trade union, which represents skilled technical workers at Aer Lingus, said it will resist compulsory lay-offs. Aer Lingus said it could not continue its current operating costs with 3,879 staff, and insisted re- dundancies were essential. Its aim is to cut day- to-day costs by 97million by the end of 2011. Aer Lingus chief executive Christoph Mueller said he regretted the impact that cuts would have. However, we must transform the business now to ensure that Aer Lingus has a business model for the long term, he added. Opposition politicians hit out at the cuts and of- fered workers their support. Fine Gael transport spokesman Fergus ODowd warned that the plan must not cripple Aer Lingus. The airline must ensure its cure does not kill the patient, he said. By ed carty Anger at airlines 100m cuts plan ciara Fox wears a headpiece entitled the race by artist Michael Burton, at the What If... exhibition at the Science Gallery in trinity college. the exhibition combines contemporary design with science to conjure up possible future scenarios Picture: PA biRDS EyE viEW... HeLP MetrO HeLP tHe eNVIrONMeNt. recycLe tHIS NeWSPaPer tOday iNSiDE TODAy Starts on Page 17 metro extralife Our new Classifieds section Today: Jobs&Courses ++ PLUS ++ Property&Letting index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html