The issue of union recognition is to be considered by the ICTU executive tomorrow, as the Ryanair dispute nears the end of its second week. Relations between congress and the Irish Business and Employers' Confederation, which has refused to condemn Ryanair's anti-union stance, are strained.
SIPTU president Mr Jimmy Somers, whose union represents the striking baggage-handlers, said he would ask congress to refer the issue back to the Government's high-level group on union recognition. Mr Somers was one of the senior trade unionists who participated in the group, which proposed a voluntary code between employers and unions.
"A voluntary code is weak enough as it is," he said yesterday, "but at least we expected everyone to commit themselves to it. This is the first test of that code and employers have failed it. It is now up to the Government to legislate."
It is understood from Government sources that informal approaches have been made to the airline to avail of third-party intervention, but so far these have been rebuffed. The Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, has said referral to a "third party might be helpful".
The use of the Labour Relations Commission or some alternative conciliation forum mutually acceptable to Ryanair and SIPTU has been put unsuccessfully to the company. Ryanair sees any collective bargaining forum as de-facto recognition of the union.
Yesterday SIPTU official Mr Paul O'Sullivan welcomed Ms Harney's statement and said the union was willing to accept referral to the LRC. Meanwhile, striking baggagehandlers said they would not take any industrial action which would disrupt today's scheduled flights to Liverpool for the Liverpool v Newcastle match. SIPTU also published details of 98 flights which it claimed had been cancelled in the first 10 days of the dispute. A spokeswoman for the company said no flights had been or would be cancelled as a result of the dispute.