Dublin Airport Authority to meet Siptu over Shannon

The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is to meet with senior Siptu officials today as part of the authority's bid to cut back on its cost base at Shannon airport.

Talks between the two sides broke up last month after the DAA's director for change, John Horgan, produced a document proposing that the company exit from catering and outsource functions at Shannon airport.

The two sides are to resume talks today, after Siptu's national industrial secretary, Michael Halpenny, told Mr Horgan in a letter that "we cannot accept exit from catering or outsourcing of functions" as part of the agenda for future talks.

In the letter, Mr Halpenny confirmed to Mr Horgan that the production of the document at last month's union management meeting "is unacceptable and indeed unhelpful to the process, insofar as it is premised on the exit of catering and the outsourcing of what appears to be the majority of functions in Shannon".

He wrote: "Further, the undue focus on an exit package - albeit to be 'negotiated' - detracts completely from what should be the focus, ie the future of Shannon and the place of our members therein."

He added: "In the alternative we have proposed discussions based on the following: no change without consultation and agreement with the unions; nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and no compulsory redundancies."

According to Mr Halpenny, today's talks are taking place with a view of agreeing an agenda for discussions and agreeing a schedule of meetings.

Mr Halpenny suggested that the parties agree to seek the services of a facilitator to assist them, without prejudice to their right to refer disputes in the normal course to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC), the Labour Court and third party machinery.

The talks are taking place with the DAA because the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) has still to become a legal entity.