There was no disruption to Ryanair services yesterday, the fourth day of a strike by baggagehandlers over union recognition. SIPTU branch secretary Mr Paul O'Sullivan, said last night that yesterday's work stoppages had not been intended to be disruptive.
Baggage-handlers staged a three-hour stoppage from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., and another from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The handlers involved in yesterday morning's stoppage had not been rostered for work since the start of the strike and the Ryanair director of group operations, Mr Colm McCarthy, spent 90 minutes trying to persuade them to stay at their posts.
SIPTU says that of 60 members it has recruited among baggagehandlers, 44 have taken part in work stoppages and a further seven have been out on holidays or sick leave. The company says that out of more than 60 staff rostered for ground handling on each shift fewer than a quarter have engaged in industrial action.
It also says that 927 of 954 company employees were working normally.
Now that SIPTU has succeeded in involving the majority of its members in regular three-hour stoppages it is expected to review its tactics. It is also planning to mount a publicity campaign aimed at winning public support for the strikers.