Galway airport said today it would operate as normal next week despite the threat of industrial action by workers.
Siptu officials are to meet tomorrow to decide the timing and form of the action, which is in response to cost-cutting measures introduced at the airport.
Siptu’s Paul Gavan said: “Our members understand the need to formulate a plan to make savings at the airport.
“However a plan that asks only the workers at the coalface to take the pain, while leaving the terms and conditions of the airport’s very large and extensive management team untouched, is unfair.”
He said substantial State funding for the airport should not be spent “in order to protect existing terms of employment for management while savage cuts to airport workers are being imposed”.
He said virtually all staff at the airport were members of Siptu and that industrial action would start in the “coming days”.
“We will be informing the airport’s only customer - Aer Arann - of our decision. Action will commence upon completion of the required notice period of seven days to management which was issued [on Monday],” Mr Gavan added.
In a statement, managing director of Galway airport Joe Walsh said management “regrets having to implement the introduction of reduced working hours”.
“However, in the current economic environment it is essential for the future of the business to take decisions in time so as to minimise the impact on our staff and respond to the ever changing business environment,” he said.
Mr Walsh said the airport was vital for Galway city, county and the wider region and it is “incumbent on the company to respond to the changing environment for the airport’s future sustainability.”
“The threat of industrial action is regrettable but the airport wishes to reassure its customers that the airport will continue to operate business as normal”, he added.
