THE danger of renewed industrial unrest at TEAM Aer Lingus increased yesterday with SIPTU reporting that its aircraft maintenance assistants (AMA) have voted nine-to-one for strike action.
Grievances include the firm's failure to "upskill' the workers concerned, treatment of temporary staff and an outstanding productivity bonus. SIPTU branch secretary Mr Paul O'Sullivan said: "The issues involved in this dispute would have been resolved if the company had given the matters the urgent attention that they deserve. Our members have not taken this step lightly but have endured months of frustration as the companies have abused the industrial relations process to procrastinate and footdrag on the issues".
In response, a management spokesman said the company would not allow a handful of its 1,500 employees to jeopardise its five-year business plan with industrial action. He also accused SIPTU of being in breach of agreed procedures and the peace clause of the 1994 Labour Court recommendation that resolved the last major dispute at the firm.
SIPTU says the company is in breach of the 1994 agreement already for failing to "upskill" the AMAs to do certain tasks performed by craftworkers. The union had brought the matter to the Labour Court twice and won but no progress had been made.
TEAM says the problem is essentially inter-union. It had paid SIPTU members for gaining skills and was willing to retrain them.
TEAM claims it is using temporary workers within the terms of the 1994 deal agreed by both sides. SIPTU criticises the company for not notifying the unions in advance of requirements, including notice of starting and finishing dates for temporary staff.
On a productivity bonus, SIPTU says all other TEAM employees have the bonus and the company has not taken up an offer to go to the Labour Court for a full hearing on the issue. It denies company claims that an award to its members could have a knock-on effect for other groups of workers.
But the company says SIPTU has not raised the matter directly with it since November 1995. It says the situation can be reviewed when TEAM returns to profitability.