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Statement by SIPTU General President Jack O’Connor on Dublin Airport Authority dispute

Date Released: 27 Mar 2009

SIPTU General President Jack O’Connor has issued the following statement on the dispute at the Dublin Airport Authority in order to clarify the position regarding reports that the Union intends to promote industrial action in the State airports on Thursday, April 2, 2009.

1. There are two issues in dispute:
  • Non-compliance with the Transitional Agreement of Towards 2016 negotiated at national level; and
  • Payment of annual increments, which constitute an integral element of the pay structure set out in collective agreements between the DAA and SIPTU;


2. All good industrial relations agreements oblige the parties seeking amendment to observe the status quo while progressing issues through agreed procedures.  The DAA is acting in flagrant violation of this principle by withholding incremental payments which are due to our members.

3. Secret ballots were conducted on the issues of non-compliance with the terms of the Transitional Agreement and the application of annual increments.

4. These resulted in majorities in favour of authorising action in both cases;

5. Industrial action or strike action may not proceed unless it is sanctioned by the appropriate authority in a trade union;

6. In our trade union, the appropriate authority is the National Executive Council or the relevant National Officer – in this case, the General President;

7. Sanction to proceed with the action on March 30, which related to the Transitional Agreement was granted;

8. The Taoiseach invited the trade unions to new talks on the National Agreement on Tuesday last, 24th March;

9. On Wednesday, March 25, the Executive Council of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions decided to accept the invitation and to defer further action on the issue of the Transitional Agreement pending the outcome;

10. The application for sanction to promote industrial action in respect of the payment of increments has not yet been decided;

11. Consequently sanction to proceed has not been granted;

12. We hope management in the DAA, which is entrusted with responsibility for our vitally important aviation infrastructure will act sensibly and in compliance with existing agreements by paying the increments which fall due, and allowing any issues of concern to them to be progressed through the agreed procedure.