The News Line: News
Monday, 13 November 2006
IRISH PRIVATISATION DISASTER!
FIANNA Fail has betrayed its working class supporters and Irish Government aviation policy is a complete disaster‚ said TEEU (Technical, Engineering and Electrical Trade Union) Regional Secretary Arthur Hall.
The TEEU Eastern Regional Secretary told the union’s biennial conference in Dundalk yesterday that Fianna Fail has betrayed the trust of its working class supporters by allowing the Progressive Democrats to sell off national assets such as Aer Lingus.
He told delegates that B&I, Irish Steel, the ICC and ACC banks and eircom were among the enterprises privatised in recent years, and that ‘privatisation will continue if the present government is re-elected.
‘It is coming down the track like a fast train and the trade union movement is not prepared for it because we have no agreed policy.’
He added, ‘The break up of Aer Rianta has been a complete disaster while the privatisation of Aer Lingus has left employees fearful for their futures, as well as causing alarm and confusion for workers in SR Technic and the Dublin Airport Authority about their pensions.
‘Dublin Airport is bursting at the seams and its management is struggling with planning permission problems for a new terminal and runway.
‘Where the Company are going to get the necessary funding for such investment remains a mystery.
Autonomy for Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities has still not been finalised as both have yet to submit viability plans for their future.
‘Cork’s new state of the art terminal was only recently opened, nearly a year late.
‘The final cost was way over budget at 170 million euros. Ironically, Cork says it cannot pay for the new terminal and Dublin Airport is saying that they are not liable for the costs. What a mess!
‘Things at Shannon Airport are not much better.
‘Naturally, we and our colleagues in SIPTU are resisting these draconian proposals tooth and nail.
‘In fact, even the unions failed to predict how bad things could get, because we were predicting a predatory takeover by Willie Walsh and BA. Instead, we got Michael O’Leary and Ryanair.
‘They say people get the governments they deserve but we are witnessing the destruction of national assets built up over decades because of policies dictated by a party, the Progressive Democrats, that secured four per cent of the vote in the last general election.
‘Fianna Fail’s inertia is a gross betrayal of the tens of thousands of workers who vote for them.’
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