Aer Lingus has been warned by Siptu and its craft unions that their members will strike for 24 hours from midnight on Sunday unless the airline suspends plans to introduce new terms and conditions for existing staff on March 1st, writes Ciarán Hancock.
The stoppage could affect up to 18,000 passengers who fly with Aer Lingus daily to and from Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.
Siptu, which represents 1,800 Aer Lingus workers, and the craft unions said their members would also refuse to work overtime; that on-call services would be withdrawn, except in the case of aircraft emergencies; and there would also be a work to rule.
The announcement followed a four-hour meeting of shop stewards in Dublin airport yesterday.
A Siptu spokesman said it was keen to "minimise disruption" to the travelling public by giving notice of its intentions.
In a bid to break the deadlock, Labour Court chairman Kevin Duffy yesterday invited Aer Lingus and the unions to attend "exploratory talks" on the dispute today. Both sides have agreed to attend, and it is hoped that a compromise can be brokered.
Enda Corneille, Aer Lingus's commercial director, said the airline would attend the talks with an "open mind" and it hoped that a disruption to services could be averted.
"We have an important cost agenda to fulfil, which we want to do by a process of engagement. Hopefully this will be the first step to that."
He declined, however, to say if the airline still intended to introduce the new contracts for existing staff on March 1st as planned. "We are ruling nothing in and nothing out."
It is understood that Aer Lingus has drawn up contingency plans in the event of disruption and plans to operate as many flights as possible. Management will attempt to cover the duties of ground-handling employees, craft workers, and check-in and boarding staff.
The airline has offered passengers the opportunity to change their flights for free, either through its website or by ringing 0818-365000. Passengers will also be encouraged to use its Fast Pass check-in service at airports or to check in online and to travel with hand baggage only.
Pilots and cabin crew, who are represented by the Impact trade union, will not be participating in the strike.
Impact's members have voted in favour of industrial action but the union has yet to serve notice on the airline. It has been in talks with Aer Lingus under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission. As a result, Impact members will be free to carry out their own duties.
The dispute relates to the introduction of new terms and conditions for workers at the airline. Aer Lingus has introduced these contracts for new employees and is proposing to issue existing staff with them from March 1st.
This has angered Siptu, which says the move breaches the terms of a recently signed agreement between the two sides. Aer Lingus is seeking to reduce holiday leave and time off for working bank holidays, and to cut allowances and shift premium payments.