Dublin Airport strike looms

Vivion Kilfeather

Representatives of 200 staff working for Gate Gourmet Ireland Ltd at Dublin airport, a branch of the catering company involved in the dispute at Heathrow, are expected to meet the human resources chief of the company, Andy Cook, this morning in a bid to avert possible strike in two weeks’ time.

Civil aviation official with SIPTU Pat Ward said its industrial action committee would meet the following day to decide on what action to take. He said if strike action was decided on, 14 days’ notice would be served on the company.

He said their members had recently voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike but what form this action would take remained to be decided at tomorrow’s meeting.

In the meantime he was not overly optimistic about the outcome of today’s meeting with management based “on their track record to date”.

The Dublin dispute is over a decision by management to change employees’ terms and conditions.

The workers have also been told the company cannot afford to pay any wage increases under the national Sustaining Progress agreement.

The dispute was referred to the Labour Relations Commission after the staff voted to strike in June last.

Meanwhile, the threat to Dublin’s Dart services has been averted after drivers withdrew their opposition to Irish Rail’s plans to introduce longer trains.

It is understood the longer trains will be in use by mid-September.