Action on Airmotive dispute demanded

SOUTH WEST Dublin could be facing its second industrial disaster in a week if the Government does not intervene in the dispute at the jet engineering company, Airmotive, Opposition politicians have warned.

The conflict at the company, a subsidiary of Aer Lingus, centres on a claim by craft workers and inspectors for a 10 per cent pay increase in respect of safety qualifications they have acquired. The claim has been rejected twice by the Labour Court.

The Fianna Fail spokeswoman on enterprise and employment, Mrs Mary O'Rourke, accused the Minister of a "hands off" approach to the month old dispute at the Rathcoole plant.

"Rathcoole and Tallaght are only up the road from one another. The loss of 800 jobs at Packard represents a devastating blow to this area of Dublin, but to have another 400 plus hanging in the balance at Airmotive is beyond belief," she said.

Over the past month an estimated £7.5 million worth of business had been lost by Airmotive. "All its contracts are now in serious jeopardy and the company's long term future will be irreparably damaged unless some action is taken quickly," she added.

The Progressive Democrats leader, Ms Mary Harney, said the threat to the plant's jobs was the last thing south west Dublin wanted to hear. "I know this claim has already been to the Labour Court, but I would appeal to the Minister for Enterprise and Employment to arrange for one further, independent effort to solve this dispute.