Crowe meets Bruton on Rathcoole jobs uncertainty

Dublin South West representative Seán Crowe TD has met with Jobs Minister Richard Bruton about the potential job losses at the Rathcoole plants of Lufthansa Technic and Pratt Whitney Aviation International.

Deputy Crowe had raised the issue last week and the Minister had agreed to update TDs about the 107 and 408 jobs under threat in PWAI and Lufthansa respectively.

Speaking after the meeting Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“Last week in the Dáil Junior Minister John Perry made an announcement that hundreds of jobs were to go in Luthansa Technic and Pratt Whitney Aviation International at the plants in Rathcoole County.

“This was a terrible way to inform workers of their potential job loss particularly as many believed that management were seriously looking for ideas and a way out of the crisis.

“The meeting included Minister Richard Bruton and officials from the IDA and Enterprise Ireland.

“They outlined, to a handful of TD’s, the efforts they had made to save the jobs, but I heard very little that would create hope or optimism for the future.

“They said that management agreed that any decision to close will not be down to the efforts and production of staff, their salaries, local conditions or the Irish workers output.

“Instead they blamed market forces, over capacity, new engines coming on stream, new aircraft warranties, lack of space and the downsizing of parent company, being some of reasons being blamed on the potential losses.

“The IDA says they have met with workers and management at the companies and that Enterprise Ireland were in tandem actively seeking interest in the plants that have some of most highly skilled workers in the world involved in aircraft maintenance.

“They also agreed that if these jobs losses go ahead as predicted it will be a ‘body blow’ to the Aviation Industry and raises serious questions about the policy of encouraging students to fork out huge fees to up-skill for an industry that is in decline.

“Minister Bruton clearly needs to be more proactive in looking for solutions and ways to save these jobs.

“Lufthansa and PWAI face different problems and require different approaches and support. Above all they need a Minister and an Administration that believes the jobs can be secured and is prepared to do everything in its power to support their retention.”