Airport staff's strike threat during EU presidency

The Government could face embarrassment next week after airport staff today threatened industrial action during the six-month EU Presidency.

SIPTU, the country’s largest union, has vowed to disrupt the state’s presidency in protest at Government plans to break up the publicly-owned operator of Ireland’s three main airports, Aer Rianta.

Union members have reacted furiously to Transport Minister Seamus Brennan’s intention to split the body into three independent, competing entities at Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports.

Michael Halpenny, SIPTU’s national industrial officer, said the proposed industrial action would focus on the state’s EU Presidency and away from the general public.

He insisted it may come into force towards the end of next week at a time when foreign dignitaries are expected to arrive for a major EU meeting on January 22 and 23 in Dublin Castle.

“We are a publicly owned company, we work with the public, we’re happy to deliver the service to the public, we want to minimise any impact at all on the public, but we need to get our message across and we need to get it across where it matters,” Mr Halpenny said.

“It is the Government that concocted this economic madness as far as we’re concerned, this economic madness of breaking up a perfectly profitable company.

“This company makes about €30m profit each year, it’s one of the largest airport management companies in the world, it is a highly integrated company.

“It is a company with a long and proud history and there seems no good reason for us why this company should be broken up and the jobs and terms and conditions of our members be put in jeopardy.”

The three other unions at Aer Rianta called off industrial action last Friday to return to talks after the transport minister sent them a letter guaranteeing that there would be no forced redundancies after the company’s restructuring.

But SIPTU members are continuing to plan industrial action.

Mr Halpenny said there was an enormous amount of frustration among the union’s 1,800 staff at the three airports.

“The basis of the industrial action will be to focus on the EU Presidency, the actual details of that will be discussed with our industrial action committees tomorrow,” he added.

The dispute is the latest threat to paralyse the country’s transport system after bus and rail unions threatened industrial action over plans to break up the state-owned bus and rail operator, CIE.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern warned all the airport unions against taking industrial action in a bid to embarrass the Government last week.

Mr Ahern said the only concern of the Government regarding Aer Rianta, Aer Lingus and other state companies was their long-term sustainability.

He said the industrial action would not damage the presidency, but could harm the future of the company and its staff.