SIPTU pressures branch to lift airports’ strike threat
The civil aviation branch was, along with a number of other sections of the union, balloted for strike action over the perceived failure of employers to implement the terms of the transitional national wage agreement.
However, according to SIPTU, the civil aviation branch balloted its members for an additional strike action — over the failure of the Dublin Airport Authority to honour pay increments.
All of the ballots were overwhelmingly backed by the branch and were submitted for sanction to the union’s president, Jack O’Connor. He sanctioned all of them, apart from the increment strike ballot.
The strike action over the wage agreement was due to take place this Monday, but was averted when the members of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, including SIPTU, voted to go into a new round of economic recovery talks with the Government.
However, according to a SIPTU spokesman, civil aviation branch organiser Dermot O’Loughlin pressed ahead with serving strike notice on DAA over the increments and told the airport authority its members would strike in Dublin, Cork or Shannon airports next Thursday from 4am to noon.
As those members include a range of ground staff, including emergency and security services, the airports would be forced to effectively close for the duration of the action, leading to immediate delays and cancellations for tens of thousands of passengers and knock-on delays for thousands more.
SIPTU yesterday sent in one of its senior officials to speak with the civil aviation branch and to seek some form of mediation with the DAA over the increments.
SIPTU president Jack O’Connor said: “The application for sanction to promote industrial action in respect of the payment of increments has not yet been decided. Consequently sanction to proceed has not been granted. We hope management in the DAA, which is entrusted with responsibility for our vitally important aviation infrastructure, will act sensibly and in compliance with existing agreements by paying the increments which fall due, and allowing any issues of concern to them to be progressed through the agreed procedure.”
Last night the DAA agreed to go to the Labour Relations Commission and asked SIPTU to join them in the mediation process.
Meanwhile, as all the social partners prepare to go into negotiations with the Government on an economic recovery plan, employers’ body IBEC has forecast there will be no pay increases for workers before 2011 because of the economic crisis.
IBEC director general Turlough O’Sullivan said the current practice in industry is that pay is being frozen and even cut, and that for the foreseeable future he did not think anyone could contemplate any increases in pay.
