The three main State airports at Dublin, Cork and Shannon are facing potential closure on Thursday next week following a decision by Siptu to serve strike notice.
The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said tonight it had been informed by Siptu that its members at the three airports would stop work between 4am and midday on Thursday April 2nd.
It said that the stated reason was the non-payment of increases due under the national wage agreement negotiated last autumn.
Siptu has not commented on the issue.
Airport sources said that the proposed strike, could affect thousands of Irish football fans returning from the international game against Italy in Bari next Wedndesday.
The new strike notice served on the DAA is almost identical to that announced earlier this week for the planned national day of strike action organised by the trade union movement for this coming Monday.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) called off the national day of action after the Taoiseach invited it to take part in new social partnership talks.
The DAA, which runs Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports, said that it was "hugely disappointed" at the decision of Siptu to serve notice of industrial action.
" This planned strike is totally unwarranted and will cause needless concern and inconvenience to the travelling public ", it said.
The Dubin Airport Authority called on the union to lift the threat of industrial action immediately and enter talks on the issue.
The DAA has written to Siptu's representatives and indicated that all matters relating to the national wage agreement should be considered within the talks between the social partners on a new national agreement.
In relation to increments, which are outside the national wage agreement, the DAA has indicated that this issue is best dealt with under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission.
