What has Aer Lingus become? - Political Quote

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Monday, March 5, 2007

What has Aer Lingus become?



Aer Lingus has broken the spirit and the letter of its agreements with the workers so says the Labour court. It just goes to prove that, while Michael O'Leary is being waved around by management as the great boogey man, Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion is just as greedy and ruthless.

The court said the company had broken "the spirit and the letter" of collective agreements with trade unions.

Privatisation, isn't it just great! Sorted out Eircom, didn't it! Brought down phone prices, didn't it!

No wait; it didn't. Eircom is every bit as crappy as before and our call prices are among the highest in Europe and our internet is among the worst in the developed world.

Will privatisation work the same wonders over at Aer Lingus? Can't wait till FF and PDs get stuck into the ESB. Enron will be back in businesses yet!

7 comments:

John said...

"Privatisation, isn't it just great! Sorted out Eircom, didn't it! Brought down phone prices, didn't it!"

So, Eircom was shit after privatisation, and shit before. It doesn't make an argument either for or against privatisation, does it?

Cllr Keith Martin said...

No but privatisation does mean that 500,000 citizens lot money and Tony O'Reilly got to buy up the company which is now being squeezed for evey penny to pay for its own takeover and thus the service is as crappy as ever AND a lot of rich people got to make a lot of money.

John said...

That is in one particular instance - Highlighting a failed privatisation, and seeking to use it as an example as to why privatisation is wrong, is as disingenuous as saying that because of inefficiencies in a bloated, loss making semi-state, that government involvement is wrong.

Each case should be looked on its individual merits - the idea that all privatisation is wrong is as flawed as the view that the state should have no private sector involvement.

Why do you describe the Chief Executive of Aer Lingus as greedy? What is your definition of greed?

Anonymous said...

Almost all semi state businesses in Ireland have been profitable.

To label them all "bloated, loss making" is disingenuous.

Greed is greed. Is he taking less pay and holidays as well? Is he feck!

Anonymous said...

Basically privatisation is bad.

When has it been good?

B & I ferries?
Eircom?
Aer Lingus?

John said...

To label them all "bloated, loss making" is disingenuous.


Which is what I said.

"Almost all semi state businesses in Ireland have been profitable."

Similiarily almost all have been loss-making as well.

"Greed is greed. Is he taking less pay and holidays as well? "

The terms and conditions of Aer Lingus employee's are well above industry average - presumably they are greedy for looking out for what is best for themselves?


"Basically privatisation is bad.

When has it been good?

B & I ferries?"

B&I was a loss-making company, whose existence as a semi-state was only of benefit to its staff - why should the tax-payers of this country subsidise its existence? The same can be said for Irish Steel.

Even in the case of Eircom, there is no particularly convincing argument that if they had remained a semi-state company things would be better. The experience of ESB over the same time wouldn't inspire confidence.

Has Aer Lingus's partial privatisation been unsuccessful? For whom? The only people with a problem with it, seem to be Siptu - the only reason to keep Aer Lingus on the state's book was in relation to the slots at Heathrow.

John said...

Also, what was the negative outcome from the sale of ACC, TSB and ICC - certainly I am not aware of any huge problem as a result of those sales.

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