There is still a strong possibility of 24-hour work stoppages in Aer Lingus next Thursday and Friday despite the Labour Court's intervention. The court has invited Aer Lingus management and SIPTU representatives from the company's clerical and catering staff to an early hearing on their pay disputes.
The court moved quickly after yesterday's four-hour stoppage by 1,200 Aer Lingus clerical staff caused delays for 17,000 passengers and resulted in flights cancelled for 4,000 more. The company has accepted the invitation but it remained unclear last night if the union would do so.
It will be difficult to secure agreement from members for a deferral of next week's strikes to allow talks to take place. SIPTU shop stewards are to decide their position by Tuesday.
The caterers, due to start a 24hour strike at 5 a.m. on Thursday, will probably be the most reluctant to call off their action. The impact of a stoppage by them is unclear - it will affect meals on planes, but potentially it could have wider implications.
Even the usually moderate clerical section may decide to press ahead with its action from 6 a.m. on Friday. This would effectively ground the Aer Lingus fleet for the day.
Meanwhile cabin crew representatives from SIPTU and IMPACT have been invited to begin talks with the company at the Labour Relations Commission from Tuesday - thus averting any immediate threat of further stoppages from this group.
The mood at SIPTU's march by clerical staff in Dublin yesterday was militant. They have not been on strike for 22 years and seven months. The march was led by the SIPTU band under its musical director and former union president Mr John Carroll.
The union's vice-president, Mr Jack O'Connor, accused the company of dividing the workforce to keep pay low "and massage the bottom line to attract investors to the flotation". Afterwards over 700 marchers chanted "No more yellow packs!" as they marched on the company headquarters.
Air travellers could face industrial relations turbulence in Ireland's other leading airline, Ryanair, shortly. The British Air Line Pilots' Association has invoked the 1999 Employment Relations Act to obtain union recognition in the UK. BALPA already has recognition with over a dozen airlines on a voluntary basis.
A BALPA spokesman confirmed yesterday it had invoked the Act to seek compulsory recognition from Ryanair. Under the Act a union must obtain over 50 per cent support for recognition in a ballot within the bargaining unit concerned - in this case Ryanair's UK-based pilots - or have over 50 per cent of the workers in union membership.
BALPA and the Irish Air Line Pilots' Association branch of IMPACT already meet the latter requirement. IMPACT assistant general secretary Mr Michael Landers said yesterday his union was urging members to support the BALPA initiative.
BALPA members are balloting for industrial action of their own after rejecting a new productivity deal from Ryanair. The company's chief executive, Mr Michael O'Leary, has given over 200 company pilots in Ireland and Britain until Tuesday to accept the package, or it will be withdrawn.
A Ryanair spokeswoman said yesterday the company "has been in direct talks with their pilots in the UK and Ireland for the past month and we remain confident that Ryanair pilots will approve by Tuesday next the improved package of pay, benefits, better working conditions and share options".