Workers at Shannon Airport this evening voted against a restructuring and redundancy package aimed at sercuring €10 million in savings.
The proposals were rejected by eighty per cent of Siptu members and also heavily rejected by Impact and TEEU memebrs.
Shannon is currently run by the Dublin Airport Authority but under legislation breaking up Aer Rianta, it is required to operate as an automymous entity.
The proposal for the 500 workers at the airport involved voluntary redundancy of 200 workers.
It included plans to outsource catering and other functions at the airport and wash thrashed over in two days at the Labour Relations Commission last month.
The redundancy package offered long-serving members of staff lump-sums of over EUR100,000 and staff were offered the option to avail of pensions at 55.
"The result bears out the union's analysis that the management's proposals did not meet the employees concerns for job security and the future of Shannon," said Siptu national industrial secretary Michael Halpenny.
The Labour Relations Commission has been advised.
Fine Gael transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell said the Government should intervene to bring the parties back to the negotiating table. "This issue cannot be allowed to fester any longer. Too many jobs, not only in Shannon Airport but in the greater Shannon region as well as in Cork and Dublin, are at stake.
"Unless a decision is taken to tackle the higher-than-average costs at Shannon, neither Dublin nor Shannon can prepare realistic business plans for the future development of our aviation facilities," Ms Mitchell said.