Agreement between employers and unions on a voluntary code of practice to resolve disputes over union recognition is becoming increasingly unlikely because of the dispute at Ryanair.
The Irish Business and Employers' Confederation indicated last night that it may withdraw from the Government's High Level Group on trade union recognition, if the trade union movement demands sanctions against companies like Ryanair, which is refusing to talk to SIPTU, the union representing its striking baggage-handlers.
Trade union leaders are now expected to seek commitments from the Government that it will legislate on the recognition issue, if the problem of companies ignoring standard industrial procedures cannot be resolved in discussions with IBEC.
Yesterday, the executive of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions discussed union recognition and the Ryanair dispute. Senior trade union sources said afterwards that the Ryanair dispute "sharpens everyone's perceptions of the issue". If a voluntary system was to work, IBEC had to be "persuaders, not just advisers" on the employers' side.
Another senior union source said there was little point having a voluntary code if some employers were going to ignore it.
In a statement after the meeting, the ICTU said that it was "striving to move away from adversarial industrial relations in order to build a new system based on mutual respect and operating in partnership. The denial of the right of Ryanair workers to be represented by a union of their choice has no place in modern industrial relations.
"Such an approach puts in jeopardy the achievements of the past decade," it warned. When employers refused to recognise the right of workers to union representation, "there is no basis for co-operation or consensus. Confrontation becomes inevitable".
It added: "The procedures outlined in the report on union recognition by the High Level Group need to be strengthened".
The minimum that the ICTU is expected to consider acceptable is a Government commitment to introduce legislation, should agreement on a voluntary code prove impracticable.
However, IBEC's director of industrial and employee relations, Mr Turlough O'Sullivan, said later that his organisation might have to review its attitude to the issue of union recognition, as it appeared that union leaders were changing their stance on a voluntary code.
"We participated in the High Level Group and were prepared to support its recommendations", he said. "We have to see what clarifications the ICTU require. Already there are a number of IBEC members who are calling into question the good faith of unions like SIPTU, which took part in the High Level Group and is now coming out and casting doubts on the validity of the group's report."
Yesterday, the baggage-handlers gave Ryanair seven days notice that they will increase their work stoppages at Dublin Airport from the current three hours a shift to six hours, if the company continues its policy of non-recognition. The union claimed 10 scheduled flights were cancelled yesterday, but the company said that services were operating as normal.
At its weekly meeting yesterday the Parliamentary Labour Party gave approval to its spokesman on enterprise, trade and employment, Mr Tommy Broughan, to draw up a Private Members' Bill on union recognition for the forthcoming Dail session.
The Labour MEP for Dublin, Ms Bernie Malone, later called on the EU Commissioner for Social Affairs, Mr Padraig Flynn, to propose an EU directive on the same issue.