An escalation of industrial action by Aer Lingus cabin crew may ground flights one day a week over the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, British Midland staff voted 121 to 27 last night for a strike starting from midnight.
Some 148 of the 160 British Midland baggage handlers and ticket desk staff voted for strike action.
The a ballot was on Labour Relations Commission proposals over pay and pensions. The Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union had engaged in round-theclock talks with British Midland management to avert the strike. The dispute arose out of the takeover by Gatwick Handling International of British Midland ground operations.
Aer Lingus cabin crew have notified the airline of their intention to hold a one-day strike on February 7th, threatening all flights that day. The action will take effect from midnight and will affect cabin crew based in Dublin, Shannon, Cork and Heathrow airports.
Notice of further strikes will be issued on February 6th unless a settlement is reached.
In the Aer Lingus dispute, IMPACT assistant general secretary Ms Christina Kearney said the airline now had a short window of opportunity to reach a settlement and avoid strike action. Cabin crew did not want to inconvenience passengers.
Aer Lingus management has agreed to attend a meeting with IMPACT cabin crew representatives tomorrow afternoon.
Airline management expressed "extreme disappointment" with the union's decision to take industrial action. "This potential disruption can only damage the airline's reputation, serves no purpose for the staff and ultimately drives our customers away," a company spokesman said.
Some 98 per cent of IMPACT cabin crew members voted on Tuesday to reject Labour Court proposals on pay and working conditions. This is the latest phase in an ongoing row over pay that resulted in the grounding of all Aer Lingus flights on October 17th.