Further transport disruption was threatened tonight after trade union bosses served strike action notice on Aer Lingus.

FOLLOWING a last-minute scare in the early hours of yesterday morning, Aer Lingus finally looks able to open its new Belfast hub with the blessing of its 480 pilots.

UNIONS at Aer Lingus yesterday warned that a company threat to implement a pay freeze will backfire.

Pilots and general staff at Aer Lingus are reacting angrily to the airline's latest industrial relations moves.

AER LINGUS workers will this morning decide whether to proceed with industrial action over the company’s decision to implement a pay freeze on its 3,700 staff.

SIPTU has hit out at the Minister for Transport for ignoring the plight of Shannon airport.

SIPTU has issued a warning to business interests in Cork and Dublin that the Heathrow slots from their airports could suffer the same fate as those from Shannon.

SIPTU has secured a meeting with Aer Lingus next Monday at which the union will demand the company explain its decision to impose a pay freeze on its 3,700 staff.

A FORMAL request for an independent inquiry into the deaths of two Bray firefighters last week is being considered by Environment Minister John Gormley.

Strike action is firmly on the cards as management and unions are set to clash over Aer Lingus cost-cutting plans, writes Stephen Rogers.

THOUSANDS of Aer Lingus passengers face a strong prospect of being grounded within the coming weeks as relations between the company and its workers reach an all-time low.

A CRISIS meeting of Aer Lingus shop stewards has been called for next week after the airline announced it was giving just five more weeks for negotiations on new structures for its workers.

AER Lingus could face strike action at the height of the summer holiday rush if it tries to push through its controversial Programme for Continuous Improvement 2007 (PCI07) by August 1.

Aer Lingus and SIPTU have agreed to a series of regional meetings over the coming week to discuss changes to work practices and pay for airline staff.

SIPTU has called off strike action at Aer Lingus which was due to disrupt flights for thousands of passengers next Monday.

The Labour Court intervened in the Aer Lingus dispute this evening, in an effort to avert possible industrial action.

AER LINGUS management could be handling baggage check-ins next week in a bid to reduce the chaos caused when SIPTU workers go on strike.

AER LINGUS workers could ground the airline with strike action before the end of the month causing chaos for thousands of air passengers.

Budget airline Ryanair tonight attempted to lure Aer Lingus workers into accepting its audacious takeover offer by insisting it was worth €60,000 a head to staff.

MORE than 70 Aer Lingus workers last night picketed the Taoiseach’s constituency clinic in Dublin for the second time in a week.

SIPTU said last night that it will continue to oppose the privatisation of Aer Lingus.

Against a background of international wariness triggered by the recent terror threat, which reduced airports to chaos, coupled with increasing oil prices, the Government and Aer Lingus announced the company’s flotation yesterday.

SIPTU has called on Aer Lingus to accept Labour Court recommendations aimed at resolving industrial unrest over the part privatisation of the airline

Fresh doubts were cast tonight on a deal between workers and management at Aer Lingus, which was expected to pave the way for the airline’s privatisation next month.

Labour inspectors today launched a probe into claims 19 South African workers were being paid only €2.80 an hour to fit seat-belts on Bus Eireann coaches.

HOLIDAYMAKERS face travel chaos after one of the main unions at Aer Lingus announced it will take industrial action this week.

UNIONS at Aer Lingus are split over a multi-million euro goody bag aimed at winning workers’ support for the company’s sell-off.

The union representing the majority of Aer Lingus workers has said pay and pension issues at the national airline are far from resolved.

Aer Lingus unions are planning protests at Cork and Shannon airports in their bid to block the privatisation of the national airline, it emerged today.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern yesterday tried to distance himself from controversial comments he made about a former Aer Lingus chief, in which he accused him of trying to steal the national airline’s assets.

Aer Lingus can look forward to another 70 years of success following its privatisation, management claimed today as union leaders issued a last gasp appeal to all TDs and senators to keep the airline in public hands.

Bosses at Iarnród Éireann have laid the blame for wildcat strike action, which has ground rail services to a halt, at the door of Cork drivers.

THE Government will attempt to block any sale of Aer Lingus’ valuable landing slots at Heathrow once the airline is privatised, Finance Minister Brian Cowen has indicated.

The part-privatisation of Aer Lingus is the best way to secure the airline’s future, its chief executive said today.

The Government is part-privatising Aer Lingus for the price of four wide-bodied jets, it was claimed today.

A leading SIPTU official has expressed doubt that the union can reach agreement with Aer Lingus management about the planned sell-off of the airline.

SIPTU will be making its submission to the Oireachtas today over the Government’s intention to sell a majority stake in Aer Lingus.

SIPTU issued two week’s strike notice to Aer Lingus last night as Taoiseach Bertie Ahern strongly defended the Government’s decision to privatise the airline.

Trade unionists served notice of industrial action on Aer Lingus today, threatening strikes if the company proceeded to privatisation without agreement on issues of concern to staff.

Minister for Transport Martin Cullen will bring plans for the part privatisation of Aer Lingus to the Cabinet table today.

THE Cabinet is set to finally give the go-ahead for the part-privatisation of Aer Lingus today, as unions threaten strike action to try and scupper the sell-off.

Plans to sell-off part of the State airline Aer Lingus are fundamentally flawed, union leaders told Transport Minister Martin Cullen tonight.

SIPTU workers in Aer Lingus have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action if Minister for Transport Martin Cullen presses ahead with his plan to privatise the airline.

Aer Lingus workers tonight voted in favour of industrial action if the Government presses ahead with plans to sell-off some of the state airline.