Security staff at Dublin airport have been told to co-operate with the introduction of Ryanair's online check-in system with immediate effect in a recommendation by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).
Following a meeting with Siptu and Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), the LRC ruled that security staff were in breach of the Sustaining Progress agreement provisions in regard to "co-operation with ongoing change".
A spokesman for the union said that Airport Search Unit (ASU) staff would meet on Tuesday to discuss the commission's decision.
Earlier this week, security staff voted to reject improved work and pay conditions which were offered by DAA in an effort to resolve workers' "outstanding issues" and to encourage them to co-operate with Ryanair's new "Check'n'Go" system.
The proposals rejected by security staff would have led to an additional €148,968 being paid to those starting work with the ASU at the age of 25 and remaining until retirement age. All Siptu members would have benefited from between almost €12,000 and €150,000 over the course of their careers under the proposals offered by DAA.
Last night, a spokeswoman for Ryanair welcomed the LRC's recommendation and said security staff at Dublin airport "should actually do their jobs".
"These scanners, which reduce the workload of security staff, have been introduced without difficulty at numerous airports throughout the UK and Europe," she said.
"Only at Dublin airport, where Siptu have already confirmed that there is no problem with the scanners, have the trade unions attempted to block this new technology and blackmail the travelling public so that they can resolve other issues with Dublin airport."
David O'Brien, Ryanair's director of operations, said: "Now that the LRC has ruled that these scanners should be introduced, isn't it time that Siptu stopped blocking progress at Dublin airport and stopped hijacking the travelling public?"
Last night Ryanair said it would be providing the scanning technology necessary for implementing the online check-in system in the near future.