Siptu is seeking an all-out picket at Aer Lingus after management threatened to suspend workers who take part in industrial action planned for next week.
Siptu's national industrial secretary Michael Halpenny said the union had applied for the all-out action to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions this afternoon. In the event Ictu accepts the application from Siptu then all other unions at the airline would join the pickets.
The process would take time other unions to discuss the matter with their members and it is not likely they would agree to join next week's action.
Aer Lingus today blamed Siptu for failing to engage in negotiations over a €20 million cost-cutting plan management says is needed for the company to remain viable.
Siptu, which represents ground personnel and cabin crew served notice of four-hour rolling stoppages next Tuesday and Friday in protest at the company's intention to press ahead with the plan without agreement.
More than 20,000 passengers are likely to be affected by the stoppages at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.
Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion responded to the industrial action threat yesterday by sending out letters to 1,800 Siptu members saying they faced suspension without pay if they fail give a written undertaking not to take place in the industrial action.
The letter said those taking part "may be guilty of very serious misconduct in the discharge of their duties". Workers were told to provide written confirmation by next Monday afternoon of their intention to work as normal or provide a reasonable explanation for not doing so.
He said the suspension threat was "unprecedented" and "an attack on the fundamental rights of workers". "Aer Lingus employees have the right to freedom of association, to be represented by a trade union and to undertake industrial action, if necessary, in order to protect their working conditions.
"Our members will not be intimidated out of maintaining their right to collective bargaining," Mr Halpenny said.
Responding earlier to Siptu's claim that management is intimidating workers, Aer Lingus head of corporate affairs Enda Corneille said the company had engaged in inconclusive talks for a year.
"At every turn we have been sucked into never-ending processes that have no outcomes and we're getting to a point now where we have to implement these changes," Mr Corneille told RTÉ radio.
"We now find as we get towards the end of the year - and we've said to out investors and shareholders that we will deliver these savings in 2008 - we need to move on it, it's time to change," Mr Corneille told RTÉ's News at One.
Management was available for negotiations on implementing the PCI in an effort to avoid disruption to services, Mr Corneille said. He said the company was awaiting a recommendation of the National Implementation Body on the issue and was surprised by Siptu's timing.
But
Mr Halpenny said the claim was "disingenuous" because the company had sought to introduce "a raft of new issues" on the eve of the NIB intervention.
He reiterated the union's claim that the company was already in breach of the national wage agreement by implementing a pay freeze. The company says that costs and working practices in the airline are out of line with industry norms and the pay increases will follow full implementation of the CPI.