This article is from page 12 of the 2006-04-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
AER LINGUS workers at Shannon Airport have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action should the Government press ahead with plans to privatise part of the State airline.
Of the 2,100 SIPTU members who voted on the issue last week, 94 per cent voted in favour of the possibility of industrial action.
The workers involved are largely based in the ground operations areas, including clerical workers, cleaners and a small number of cabin crew.
SIPTU national secretary, Michael Halpenny, said that sanction would be sought from the union’s national executive council, before notice could be served on the airline.
Halpenny said that the vote was “evidence of the workers’ determination to defend their job security and conditions of employment if management push through privatisation without addressing concerns.”
Halpenny said that the union had “attempted to honour our promise to the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, on meaningful engagement with the airline and have detailed concerns of our members. Regrettably, to date, there has been an absence of meaningful engagement on the part of management.”