Industrial action by bar workers could take place in the run-up to the World Cup.
Three thousand workers who are members of the Mandate trade union are to be balloted on action after a row with the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA). Similar action took place before the World Cup in 1994.
Mandate is taking the ballot after the LVA said it could no longer enter into collective talks for bar workers across the board. The union has sought an urgent meeting with the vintners group.
LVA chief Mr Frank Fell said his organisation would enter into talks for workers in unionised pubs but said any collective agreements "should not apply to the bulk of LVA publicans who do not employ unionised staff".
Mr Fell said only 20 per cent of pubs are fully unionised and 10 per cent are part-unionised. Mandate disputes the figures saying membership rates are running at 70 per cent and is treating the dispute as a recognition issue.
Mandate divisional organiser for the Bar Trade Ms Mandy Kane said told a meeting of the union today: "Correspondence from the Association claiming that it is 'neither longer viable, nor intelligent' to negotiate with Mandate is outrageous and our members will not tolerate this patronising attitude.
"Mandate members will fiercely resist any further moves to downgrade the union and trample on our rights to represent our members on a collective basis", she said.
ICTU General Secretary Mr David Beggs told a conference in Tralee, Co Kerry today that the "balance of probabilities" seems to be against the continuation of national agreements.
