This article is from page 2 of the 2007-03-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
SIPTU 1s to ballot its members for in- dustrial action at Shannon Airport.
Crunch talks are to take place to- morrow (Wednesday) at the airport between management and unions. The talks will centre on the thorny issue of staffing the security opera- tion at Shannon.
Already, 23 of the 90 temporary workers at Shannon have been told that their contracts will not be re- newed on March 23 next.
This follows the rejection by unions of the €35 million restructuring plan put forward by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), which involved the voluntary redundancy of 200
workers.
The meeting tomorrow between the Executive Chairman of the Shannon Airport Authority, Pat Shanahan, the airport director, Martin Moroney and senior union officials is seen as crucial to any alternative package that might be agreed.
However, SIPTU Industrial Or- ganiser, Tony Carroll confirmed in a letter circulated at Shannon, that the union was proceeding to a protective ballot for industrial action.
“The Labour Relations Commis- sion (LRC) convened a meeting of the three unions in Dublin Airport Authority Shannon last Wednesday to look at ways of involving the 1m- passe in the stalled cost reduction
programme at Shannon Airport,” the letter states.
“SIPTU and the union sought a reversal to the status quo situation relating to decisions made and an- nounced by the airport management including the giving of a terminal notice and contract workers to finish on March 23, 2007.
“SIPTU has now decided to pro- ceed to issue notice of its intention to ballot its members on a protective ballot for industrial action to be im- plemented in the event of the DAA proceeding to impose change unilat- erally which may affect in anyway on our members and/or in breach of our procedural agreements.
“The protective ballot for indus-
trial action in no way diminishes our commitment to engage with the DAA management through the LRC in trying to secure a settlement of all TSS UC ehe
“This ballot would not have been necessary had the company agreed to revert to the status quo as request- ed at the LRC while we processed the dispute through the normal pro- cedures. In the meantime, you may be approached by management to discuss matters, you are under no ob- ligation to talk to management as all these issues are 1n process.”
Already, the stalemate has resulted in the closure of the Marsh Point bar and the curtailment of restaurant hours.