Major flight disruption at Irish airports could be looming as SIPTU members have voted for industrial action in their dispute over the break-up of Aer Rianta.
The threatened industrial action is the latest move in a campaign of resistance to the Minister of Transport, Mr Brennan's plans to break up Aer Rianta.
The unions have reacted angrily to his intention to split the state-owned firm into three separate companies at Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports. SIPTU leaders said the plan made no economic sense and would leave the two smaller airports struggling to survive.
Around 250 members of SIPTU today mandated their leaders to prepare a campaign of strike action to disrupt Ireland's presidency of the EU.
However, strike action is not inevitable as the workers do not represent the whole of the group of unions at Aer Rianta. Mandate, IMPACT and TEEU members have not voted for strike action.
The Aer Rianta group, minus SIPTU, said in a statement this evening it had considered a letter by Mr Brennan and were encouraged by the fact that the letter contains a change from his previous position, "in that he has now committed himself to sharing 'essential financial and other information' with the ICTU group prior to the publication of any proposed legislation or debate in the Oireachtas."
The union also welcomed the fact that the letter offered safeguards to staff on their job security, promising that there will be no compulsory redundancies. They said they would be considering this letter and whether to accept Mr Brennan's offer for further negotiations.
Union representatives had said they were very disappointed at the outcome of Wednesday's talks with department officials regarding pay and conditions of employment for staff after the break-up.
Last November Mr Brennan said the decision to break up the airport-management company was not for renegotiation, but that he was prepared to talk about employment issues such as job security and pensions.
If industrial action is taken it would come at an embarrassing time for the Government as foreign dignitaries arrive in Dublin at the end of the month for meetings as part of Ireland's presidency of the EU.
Speaking at Dublin airport this morning, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said the best way forward for the unions was to continue the process of dialogue. He said industrial action would not harm the Irish presidency of the EU but could damage both the company and its staff.