Ryanair continues war of words with TEEU

The war of words between Ryanair and the electricians' union (TEEU) continued today with Ryanair accusing the union of shedding 'crocodile tears' over the proposed break-up of Aer Rianta.

Ryanair claimed it could create 5,000 new jobs and guarantee five million new passengers at Dublin Airport.

A spokesman for the low fares airline said today: "Why won't Bertie Ahern's Government proceed with its own plans to break up the Aer Rianta monopoly, develop a second terminal at Dublin Airport and deliver 5,000 new highly-paid jobs, which will prevent the TEEU and its pals in SIPTU either bullying Bertie or closing Dublin Airport again?"

Earlier, the TEEU said the Ryanair chief executive was persuing his own agenda of trying to bully the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern into breaking up Aer Rianta.

Its regional secretary Arthur Hall stated: "He has produced absolutely no evidence to suggest that if Aer Rianta was broken up, and Ryanair allowed to develop a terminal at Dublin Airport, he could create 5,000 new jobs.

"Far from creating more competition at the airport, a Ryanair-owned terminal would strengthen that company's stranglehold on the Irish aviation industry.

"O'Leary is worse than a bully. He is a would-be dictator who uses his huge financial resources to buy media coverage and quite ruthlessly lampoon any politician who gets in his way, and derides every opinion except his own."