Unions at Aer Rianta have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action over the proposed break-up of the company, and plan to target the European Presidency and its officials, reports Christine Newman.
Three unions, SIPTU, Mandate and the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU), voted for industrial action following a refusal by the company to provide guarantees about conditions of employment in the event of the break-up going ahead.
IMPACT union, representing managers, expects its ballot result later this week.
The results come as the unions prepare for talks with the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, and Department officials on the future of Aer Rianta which begin tomorrow.
Mr Dermot O'Loughlin, of the civil aviation branch of SIPTU, said 85 per cent of the members from Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports voted in favour of action.
SIPTU members form 80 per cent of workers in Aer Rianta, totalling 1,700 at the three airports.
On industrial action, Mr O'Loughlin said: "We are focusing on directing our action on the European Presidency.
"Although it begins in January, preparations start next month, and civil servants from the EU states will start coming over then and setting up their administrations. We would prefer to direct our actions at the Government and the Fianna Fáil administration and not at the public."
However, he said the exact form of the action would have to be decided by the industrial council of the union.
Mr O'Loughlin said he was very concerned about the tone of the invitation to the talks, which seemed to indicate that the Minister and his officials wanted to bring them along into implementation of the proposals rather than consultation.
Members of TEEU, representing most of the technical staff, voted by 81 per cent in favour of industrial action if the current talks are unsuccessful.
The TEEU regional secretary, Mr Arthur Hall, said industrial action was intended as a weapon of last resort. He said they wanted to engage in talks with the Minister's officials and the company in a positive manner.
Mandate, which has 400 members in Dublin and Cork, also voted for industrial action.
Ms Linda Tanham, divisional organiser for Aer Rianta, said the ballot was taken as a result of Aer Rianta's inability to confirm job security, terms, conditions and standards of employment
A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said yesterday: "Any concerns that the unions have will be fully addressed before the new independent airports' authority begins its job."