Cityjet Handling Ltd will apply to the High Court today for orders committing to prison a number of people who are alleged to have taken part in protests relating to the company's business at Dublin Airport.
The defendants are alleged to have breached court orders restraining interference with the company's business.
The company's latest application relates to nine men, none of whom was a defendant in earlier proceedings taken by CityJet Handling arising from an ongoing dispute at Dublin Airport relating to trade union recognition, pay and working conditions, and involving a number of companies.
Applying for leave yesterday to serve notice on the nine defendants of the committal proceedings, Mr Roderick Horan, for CityJet Handling, told Mr Justice Kelly gardaí had given the company the names of the nine as those persons involved in protests which had disrupted his client's business.
He said because of actions taken by SIPTU members at Dublin Airport, his client had been forced to load and unload UPS cargo from UPS trucks in a public car park adjacent to a warehouse at Dublin Airport. A protest on December 10th had disrupted that activity. Airport police and gardaí had been called. His clients were concerned that such protests would continue.
Mr Horan said the High Court had granted orders restraining interference with CityJet Handling's business and notices were posted prominently at the airport. The matter had attracted considerable publicity and it was "notorious" that the orders were made. The court's orders had now been flagrantly flouted and his client was seeking to attach and have committed to prison those responsible.
Mr Justice Kelly granted leave to apply for orders for the attachment and committal of the nine persons and returned the matter to 2 p.m. today.
Last month, a number of airport workers who were being sued by CityJet Handling arising from activities at the company's premises at Dublin Airport agreed before the High Court not to intimidate, obstruct or threaten the company's servants or agents.
Under orders made by consent, those defendants, who included Socialist Party councillor Ms Clare Daly, also agreed not to trespass on the company's premises or interfere with access to or egress from them.
Prior to that, a number of workers spent more than an hour in custody while the court was hearing proceedings against them arising out of protests over the dispute.
At the conclusion of that hearing, Mr Justice Kelly directed they be discharged. Apologies were given in court for breaches of the orders and undertakings were given that they would be obeyed in future.