Transport workers in the EU said yesterday that they would explore means to support striking Ryanair baggage-handlers at Dublin Airport by taking "subsidiary actions" in countries to which Ryanair flies. The Federation of Transport Workers' Unions (FST) described the airline's attitude to its staff as "deplorable".
Mr Hugues de Villele, general secretary of FST, said: "Some of us gathered here in Brussels find it quite shocking that a company such as Ryanair can simply refuse workers the basic right to representation in negotiations".
The president of SIPTU, Mr Jimmy Somers, called on the Government to introduce emergency legislation to deal with the dispute in the light of Ryanair's refusal to respond to the Labour Court and appeals made by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Tanaiste, Ms Harney.
Mr Somers said that Ryanair was damaging the partnership approach between government, employers and trade unions, which had operated successfully for 10 years.
A spokeswoman for Ryanair said yesterday that the company's position was unchanged. She drew attention to record passenger numbers in January and an increase in advance bookings of over 40 per cent since last year. The spokeswoman added that the figures confirmed an earlier notice to customers that "no flights have been, or will be, cancelled as a result of the action".
The share price had gained 50p since the dispute began, the Ryanair spokeswoman said.
Ryanair's chief executive, Mr Michael O'Leary, told an investors' conference in New York yesterday that the company had made a "tremendous start" to 1998 and planned to carry five million passengers this year.
He applauded the "courageous action" of the Ryanair strikers. "We are currently investigating ways of providing them with even more support from their counterparts in other countries", he added.
Ryanair flies from Dublin to Beauvais in France and Charleroi in Belgium.