SIPTU members at CityJet Ground Handling have voted by 84 per cent for industrial action in pursuit of a substantial pay rise, along with union recognition.
Besides servicing CityJet, the company's other clients include Air 2000 and Aer Arann. CityJet sold its ground handling operation to Group Crit, a French-owned company, last year. Shortly afterwards SIPTU began recruiting staff and now claims about 70 per cent of the workforce has joined.
A SIPTU officer, Mr Dermot O'Loughlin, said pay rates at CityJet Ground Handling were comparable with other similar operations, but shift allowances and overtime rates were lower. CityJet Ground Handling pays a weekly shift allowance of £24, compared with Aer Lingus rates of £48 to £84 and Servisair rates of £53.75p.
Unlike other ground handlers at the airport, CityJet Ground Handling does not pay weekend premiums.
A spokesman for CityJet Ground Handling said: "What we are currently engaged in is working with each other - staff and management - to improve the organisation and to find appropriate solutions which meet the expectations of staff and employers."