Protest by union to trigger chaos at airports
It made the claim in an affidavit to the High Court and was granted leave to seek an injunction preventing the stoppages.
Aer Lingus has warned it will hold the union, its officials, and members personally liable for any losses it sustains if the stoppage goes ahead.
Ground staff, airport emergency and security staff, and a number of Aer Lingus staff plan to stage staggered two-hour work stoppages across the three airports from Monday.
They are protesting at what the union describes as the “current impasse” in talks on how to resolve the €700m deficit in the pension scheme for DAA and Aer Lingus staff.
In the affidavit to the High Court, John McCormack, Dublin Airport group head of industrial relations, said Siptu was intent on creating major disruption at Dublin, Cork, and Shannon on Monday.
The action was designed to ensure there would not be sufficient numbers of airport police, firemen, and members of the airport search units throughout the day — effectively closing the three national airports on Monday, he said, and causing “enormous disruption” to travellers.
In court, Brian Moore, for the DAA, said it had separate agreements with the fire and police service, and the security search units providing that Siptu would not engage in any strike, walkout, or suspension of work, and that all work issues would be resolved through the labour relations mechanisms.
Ms Justice Maureen Clarke said it appeared the DAA had a reasonable cause of action and that it was appropriate in the public interest that she should grant short service of the authority’s intention to seek injunctions this Friday.
Last night, Aer Lingus claimed Siptu had “unilaterally initiated steps to stage industrial action”.
“We believe these steps to be unlawful as they breach well-established resolution arrangements and have already outlined this to Siptu officials in writing,” it said.
“Accordingly, Aer Lingus intends to hold Siptu and all relevant officers, officials, and members personally liable in respect of the losses sustained by Aer Lingus in the event that the planned industrial action goes ahead.”
Siptu sector organiser Dermot O’Loughlin said: “We are disappointed to hear of the High Court proceedings. Our members are frustrated and annoyed at the DAA for adopting tactics that will only serve to aggravate a very difficult and complex situation.”
Siptu and its fellow worker unions engaged in intense mediation talks with the employers at the Labour Relations Commission on the two-year-old pensions issue this month.
It is understood that when talks were adjourned on Sept 11, the commission’s chief executive, Kieran Mulvey, told the sides that he would come back to them with proposals within a relatively short period of time.
As of yesterday the unions said they had still not received any proposals.
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