DAA in court bid to stop action

The Dublin Airport Authority has warned that operations at Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports may be affected by industrial action next Monday in a row over pensions.

However, the DAA is to go before the High Court this Friday seeking an injunjction that would prevent threatened industrial action by SIPTU – which they claim would effectively close the three airports – from going ahead.

In the High Court earlier this week, Brian O’Moore, senior counsel for the DAA, told Ms Justice Maureen Clarke the authority had been given notice of the action by SIPTU on September 11 last following a ballot of members in July.

The industrial action was in the form of staggered two-hour stoppages.

Mr O’Moore, who appeared with Mr Tom Mallon, BL, said there were issues between the trade union and the DAA in connection with a pension scheme known as the Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme. Negotiations had been ongoing under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission with SIPTU to resolve these issues.

He told the court the DAA was involved in separate agreements relating to two critical groups of workers employed by the Airport Authority, the fire and police service and the security search unit.
These agreements provided that SIPTU would not engage in any strike, walk-out or suspension of work and that all work issues would be resolved through the Labour Court and the labour relations mechanism.

Mr O’Moore said there were ongoing negotiations relating to the pension issues and the DAA claim it would be a breach of existing agreements if any industrial action is to go ahead.
Judge Clarke said it appeared to the court the DAA had a reasonable cause of action and that it was appropriate in the public interest she should grant short service of the authority’s intention to seek the injunction.