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THE CEO OF Aer Lingus has apologised for the “hurt and upset” caused to airline staff following an article published in a Sunday newspaper.
Stephen Kavanagh issued the apology following an article published in the Sunday Independent with the headline: “Aer Lingus chief says staff stealing ‘many millions of euro’ from customers and colleagues”.
The article based its claim on a memo sent to airline staff which stated that “many millions of euro” was lost by the airline due to missing stock.
The article stated that the airline was rolling out CCTV cameras in Dublin Airport and hiring private security to carry out random patrols of staff areas.
According to Fórsa – the union representing the workers – the article prompted outrage among workers and led to thousands of calls and emails to the union with complaints.
Following this and a request from the Aer Lingus Group of Unions, members of the airline’s senior executive management team held a meeting with staff and union representatives yesterday evening.
Senior management apologised to the workers at the meeting.
“The Aer Lingus CEO, Stephen Kavanagh and the Senior Executive Team expressed a sincere apology and regret for the hurt and upset caused by this misleading article. He confirmed that Aer Lingus had not been the source for the article,” Aer Lingus said in a statement.
The CEO acknowledged that Aer Lingus workers had been subject to hurtful and demeaning comments over the course of the last week and they sincerely regretted the upset that had been caused.
Aer Lingus said that Kavanagh at the meeting “re-iterated his appreciation and respect for the continued professionalism of colleagues in the delivery of excellent service and their continued hard work and dedication”.
The company also committed to making a donation on behalf of staff of €25,000 to be split equally between Pieta House and Focus Ireland.
In a statement, Fórsa said it welcomed the statement.
Official Ashley Connolly said:
We welcome and accept management’s apology on behalf of the Aer Lingus staff we represent, and we welcome the company’s decision to donate €25,000 to Focus Ireland and Pieta House – organisations whose work Fórsa respects and supports – on behalf of staff.
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There obviously must be some truth to it. I had a new hard drive stolen from my baggage on flight back from Boston years some years ago. I’m still bitter. It happens at every airport along with stealing entire bags from carousels. Hidden cameras + metal detectors for employees entering and leaving together with aggressive prosecution are the best deterrents. You could say that it indicates a lack of trust in the employees but you could also say that locking your front door in the morning indicates a lack of trust in society. It doesn’t mean it’s not the sensible option.
@Sean: All staff in the airport go through security in and out. However it is airport rather than company security.
Cameras are already installed in most locations in the airport. Catering, baggage handling, duty free bind stores, even the trucks bringing the stuff to the aircraft.
The issue wasn’t the cctv installation, it was the insinuation that there are “millions” going missing. Where is this figure from? Over how long a timeframe? How does it compare to other large organizations? 4500 staff, is it 10%, 5% or 1% behaving badly? Let’s say it’s 5%, that’s under 250 ppl responsible for at least Eur4000 pilferage/theft each.
@GinandJetfuel: nobody goes through the same security screening when the leave the airport as they do entering it. Screening bags leaving the airport could make a difference. You can’t go aorund making accusations like this even if they have proof of theft from duty free etc, it’s on an individual basis but it goes on everywhere in every industry. It was a ridiculous comment from management and well handled by the union. Expect a revolt from staff over this and rightly so.
@Peter O Donnell: okay the below is taken from a US story in 2015. Quite clearly not screening all workers is cost driven. How does Ireland compare?
The vast majority of airport employees with direct access to the tarmac and airplanes do not go through any daily security screening, and only two of the country’s major airports have systems in place that require all employees with secure access to pass through metal detectors….
The TSA identified workers with access to secure areas of airports as one of the greatest potential threats to aviation…
The report said costs for full screening of airport and airline employees could range from $5.7 – $14.9 billion for the first year of implementation.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2015/02/02/us/airport-security-investigation/index.html
@Sean: Every single staff member and car/van/truck etc are screened before entering Dublin airport, also bags, cargo etc are all checked. You can’t link an American report for Irish Airports
@Sean: oh dear. Forget America man. This is Ireland. Try get through airport security in Ireland or any European international airport without detection. You won’t get far. Its much easier to bring stuff back in than it is to bring stuff out. Hence my point regarding re screening after duty.
@GinandJetfuel: my bag was delivered out to a another customer and then returned to baggage lock up. An employee of baggage was able to describe my bag to me in detail and told it would be brought to my home next day. 3 days on – no sign of bag. Now told not there. Went to Dublin airport spent one hour trying to talk to baggage dept – you have to call from a phone on a wall in main terminal. No idea where my bag had gone , or which employee had transported to the other customer – my name, address was clearly marked on case. 5 months to get letter from A.L. for my private insurance Co. When you call baggage you are actually talking to someone in India despite the fact they say they are in Dublin. Total shambles of a Dept. Yes call a spade a spade and name the Dept at fault !
@Sean: aerlings staff didn’t steal your stuff
Really shows you the level of respect senior management has for its worker bees ..
@Is Mise jay: well paid worker bees who occasionally steal stuff.
So wait, stuff isn’t going missing?
@Dave O’Keeffe: ah it is yeah but sure few cans be grand
@Dave O’Keeffe: yes all the time- Baggage Dept a shambles !!!
Well done Forsa!
Why is he apologising? He’s the CEO of Aer Lingus, not Independent News & Media. He has no responsibility for what headlines they decide to print.
@jacquoranda: cos it was an internal memo that got leaked which he had presumably approved it should have had some knowledge of i would imagine.
@jacquoranda: the organisation’s executive calls its staff thieves… would you expect an apology, at a minimum, for an unsubstantiated claim like this against yourself?
@Pilib: unfortunately some of are ! Had the experience myself with baggage dept
T’was the Tooth Fairy ..
@Picture This: hey…!!!! I’m innocent..!!!
I left a bag which contained an item of clothing and chocolates for my family on board an Aerlingus flight from Amsterdam to Dublin back in December 2014. I absolutely knew I left the bag in the over head locker and I was certain I would get it back but when I rang the Aerlingus lost and found department there was no sign of my bag. I could not believe it! I was genuinely shocked. Not shocked about this announcement though!
@Geralyn Early: I left a laptop on a plane and got it back no problem! Doesn’t happen all the time.
@Sean Oige: Never said it happens all the time but I was very disappointed that I did not get this bag back as it was Christmas time.
@Geralyn Early: could it have been a fellow passenger who took it?
@Deborah Blacoe: That is possible but I would imagine that rarely happens. Anyway. I only thought about that bag again when this news story broke.
Never had a problem with Aer Lingus. Always a good experience on 100+ flights.
There’s an airport, not in Ireland, that I always have issues with when I transfer around this time of year, no matter which carrier I fly with.
The whole story then was just the senior management flying a kite…
@iComment: expensive kite
Well Santy has to get his goodies from somewhere
all the staff were not responsible only a few, like the time only some staff were smuggling people into the country.
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