A major dispute seems set to begin at Dublin Airport today between Servisair and SIPTU over new work rosters for baggage handlers.
The company has already brought in at least 80 staff from the UK to do the work of Dublin employees if the strike goes ahead.
In a statement last night Servisair said it was "confident that there will be minimal, if any, disruption to all those using Dublin airport, even if SIPTU insists on proceeding with industrial action."
While the company is understood to have plans to bring in more strikebreakers if required, it is unclear if this will be sufficient to avoid serious disruption. Hardest hit will be charter holiday flights and transatlantic routes serviced by Delta and Continental.
The company said in its statement it simply wished to merge baggage- handling teams for passenger and freight aircraft into one flexible operation, as was "commonplace" through the ground handling industry.
"The union wants to have rigid practices in which these two functions are carried out by totally separate teams. This cannot continue. Although SIPTU walked away from discussions at the LRC the company remains available for talks."
SIPTU assistant branch secretary, Mr Dermot O'Loughlin, said his members were "quite prepared to explore amalgamation of the two functions but the company cannot expect our people to do it for free, especially as it involves a huge increase in productivity, flexibility and a huge dilution in the quality of the working roster".
Members would have to work extra late shifts, have earlier starts and work at least five out of six weekends, he said.
If baggage handlers are suspended the dispute is expected to erupt into a full-blown strike by mid-morning