Staff at Dublin airport are refusing to co-operate with a new online check-in system recently introduced by Ryanair. Passengers trying to go to the departure gates with boarding cards printed out from their computers are being turned back by security personnel and told they have to go to the usual check-in desks.
A spokeswoman for the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said that while the company was happy to support its airline customers, staff were not prepared to work with the new Ryanair system.
The system allows passengers to print off their boarding cards from their home or office computers. A barcode is printed on the ticket and DAA staff are supposed to run a scanning machine over this code before passengers can proceed to the various departure gates. The tickets must be scanned in case passengers try to duplicate the ticket.
The Check'N'Go service was introduced last week on Ryanair's Dublin-Cork services.
Ryanair is hoping that 40 to 50 per cent of its passengers will ultimately use online check-in. It hopes the initiative will let it reduce the number of check-in desks and other handling facilities.
A spokeswoman for the airport authority said there were "outstanding issues" surrounding staff dealing with the new technology and discussions were set to take place. The dispute has been referred to the Labour Relations Commission.
In a letter seen by The Irish Times, the LRC says that the dispute regarding new working procedures, connected with the introduction of e-boarding cards, had been referred to them by the authority.
Officially launched last Thursday ahead of the St Patrick's weekend, the Check'N'Go service is designed to allowed passengers to check-in online with a maximum of one piece of hand baggage. Ryanair, along with other airlines, is hoping online check-in will become widely used.
UK airlines such as British Airways are offering the service and Aer Lingus is hoping to introduce similar technology in May.
Ryanair's online check-in service is designed to allow customers to complete the process up to three days prior to their proposed flight. It can be used up to four hours prior to take-off.
Online customers are required to present themselves to the boarding gate 30 minutes before the departure time, as they are priority boarded on to the aircraft.
A spokesman for Ryanair last night said it does not comment on other companies unions. The online check-in service still featured on the airline's website last night.