Union may back Aer Rianta, CIÉ strikes

THE country’s biggest trade union warned yesterday it will back strikes in Aer Rianta and CIÉ unless the Government gives proper consideration to the workers’ demands.

SIPTU general secretary Joe O’Flynn, who will address the union’s bi-annual conference in Galway next week, said lway next week, said yesterday that workers from both companies feel completely ignored by Transport Minister Séamus Brennan.

“We want to show these companies that unions are as relevant today as ever. If our workers are going to be ignored by both Aer Rianta and CIÉ, then we will back strike action,” Mr O’Flynn said.

Aer Rianta unions will seek the go-ahead for strike action next week from all its workers.

SIPTU workers in both Aer Rianta and CIÉ are against the break-up of both companies by Mr Brennan because they claim it will lead to job losses and, ultimately, privatisation.

But the minister has rejected these claims and insists no jobs will be lost and that both companies will remain in State ownership.

Mr Brennan will meet representatives from all unions on September 9 in an effort to defuse the industrial unrest in both companies.

But the SIPTU general secretary warned: “Our members are feeling very frustrated because they were not consulted by the minister and this will be the focus of a major debate at next week’s conference.”

A motion calling on the Government to make balanced regional development the key part of its aviation policy has been tabled by the Shannon SIPTU branch.

This will focus on protecting the jobs of workers at all three airports.

Mr O’Flynn will also warn employers who are stopping their workers from joining unions that the Social Partnership deal will come to an end if they continue to pursue this policy.

“The employers group, IBEC, cannot continue to back companies who deny workers their basic right to join a union. If they do, we will go back to the bad old days of the 70s and local agreements,” the SIPTU general secretary warned.

Mr O’Flynn said the union, which has more than 200,000 members, has undertaken a major recruitment drive in the past year and taken on more than 2,000 new members.

Another motion likely to spark a lively debate is one calling on the Government to give more resources to the National Health and Safety Council to reduce the number of deaths in the construction industry.

SIPTU wants a national network of workers’ safety representatives set up in industries that will monitor health and safety operations.

It wants these safety representatives to be given a greater role in the workplace and power to demand more stringent safety controls.

Outgoing president Des Geraghty will open the SIPTU four-day conference in Galway on Tuesday and Mr O’Flynn will deliver the keynote speech on Wednesday.