Trade-union representatives in Aer Rianta are to consider tomorrow an offer by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, to meet for talks about the proposed break-up of the airport monopoly. Joe Humphreys reports.
The offer has been made in an effort to persuade the unions to call off their first day of industrial action scheduled for November 4th next.
SIPTU president Mr Jack O'Connor said the proposal needed to be clarified before workers could make a definitive decision on it.
"It does accept the concept of talks under an independent facilitator or chairperson, which is something the Minister, while not previously ruling out, had not agreed to either."
The offer was made in a letter from the Minister late last week to the general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Mr David Begg. Since then Mr Brennan has publicly stated the talks would only deal with employment-related issues, such as job security, conditions and pensions, rather than the decision to break up Aer Rianta itself.
A spokesman for the Minister said yesterday this decision had been "made by the Government", and was not for renegotiation.
Mr O'Connor noted the Minister "has not helped the situation by pouring cold water on the proposal before people had a chance to see it. I can't avoid harbouring a concern that it was about prejudicing our members' consideration of it.
"It has rendered it very difficult to persuade people to consider the offer separate from what he has said about it."
Union representatives meeting tomorrow will consider the offer before making recommendations to Mr Begg. It appears unlikely, however, that the industrial action will be called off given the Minister's refusal to reopen talks on the break-up itself.