SIPTU general president Mr Jack O'Connor has called for members of the union to take a "united stand" in defence of the security and quality of employment in the public transport sector after the bitter dispute over today's aborted transport strike.
However, he also warned that it "may well be" that SIPTU will have to take "major industrial action" to protect its members' jobs.
He issued his call following the row between the CIÉ strike committee and senior union leaders last night, when SIPTU leaders ordered the strike committee to call off their planned 24-hour transport stoppage.
The strike committee earlier said it was taking advice about the possibility of taking legal action against the union for its invokation of 'Rule 169', ordering that the dispute be cancelled.
Mr O'Connor appealed to members who disagreed with the union's decision to "use the union's extremely democratic procedures — probably the most democratic of any Irish union — to resolve any differences we have".
"Rushing to the media or the courts will do nothing but play into the hands of those whose sole aim is the dismembering of the public transport system at the expense of our members jobs, the quality of services to the public and the wider economy."
"It may well be that SIPTU will have to take major industrial action in defence of members' jobs and to protect essential elements of the country's infrastructure from being asset stripped for the short term gain of powerful lobbies within our society. Firstly however we must exhaust every possible opportunity to resolve the disputes at Aer Rianta and CIE peacefully," Mr O'Connor said.
"We believe that our objectives can be achieved and the improvements in the public transport system sought by the Government can be achieved if the commitments entered into by the Taoiseach are honoured in the letter and in the spirit by the Minister for Transport.
"This is indeed an opportunity for Seamus Brennan to show his commitment to genuinely resolve our differences if he wishes to take it. So far that commitment has been lacking."
Mr O'Connor asked "any objective observer" to "at least consider our proposition that the main cause of industrial relations difficulties in the public transport sector has been the consistent refusal of the minister to date to engage in a meaningful way with us in a partnership approach".
"Thanks to our efforts he now has another opportunity to adopt such an approach, share information with us, agree a common analysis of the problems we face and combine with us in finding solutions to those problems."
Mr O'Connor also repeated the Taoiseach's comments in his last-minute letter to the union on Monday that he would ensure the commitments given by the Minister for Transport last January on the future of Aer Rianta and its staff are "fully honoured".
"This means that we will be given an opportunity to examine any proposals from the minister and respond with our own proposals before any attempt is made to place legislation before the Dáil."
"Contrary to what some members who disagreed with our decision not to proceed with industrial action are saying, we are under no illusions about the scale of the threat we face from Seamus Brennan and other right wing elements in the Ryanair wing of the present Government. It is precisely for this reason that we believe we must proceed with the utmost care."
Following 13 hours of talks that were variously described as "difficult" and "bad tempered" to try to avert the strike, the SIPTU leaders invoked Rule 169, effectively quashing the workers' decision to strike by ordering them not to go ahead.
Mr Bill McCamley, a CIÉ worker director and member of SIPTU's CIÉ strike committee, is meeting with shop stewards this afternoon to discuss the options now available. The strike committee last night denounced the union's decision to call off the transport stoppage as "treachery".