The chief executive of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, has called on the Taoiseach to intervene in a dispute at Dublin airport concerning online check-in tickets.
Staff at the airport are refusing to co-operate with the Ryanair system which was meant to come into operation last week.
Yesterday Mr O'Leary described the main union at the airport, Siptu, as "headbangers" determined to control the movement of passengers.
"It's not up to a bunch of trade union headbangers to decide who will, and who will not, go through the airport," said Mr O'Leary during a radio interview with RTÉ.
Talks between the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) and Siptu representatives were described as "ongoing" last night. If these talks fail to bring a resolution, the issue is due to go to the Labour Relations Commission.
For the new system to work Dublin airport staff have been asked to use a scanner to scan online tickets when presented by customers. However so far this has not happened.
Ryanair hoped to introduce the online check-in facility on the Dublin-Cork route initially, and then offer it on other routes.
Siptu says a range of industrial relations issues precluded the union's members from co-operating at this time.
Dermot O'Loughlin of the Siptu civil aviation branch said members were already dissatisfied with rostering arrangements and were seeking to solve this problem, among others.
Other staff told The Irish Times they were concerned they would become "part-time check-in staff" for Ryanair. However this was rejected yesterday by Mr O'Leary, who said the airport was a victim of "Spanish practices".
Mr O'Leary was also sceptical of hearings at either the Labour Court or the Labour Relations Commission.
"They are presumably going to the Labour Court for more money for doing less work."
Asked could the issue be solved at the Labour Relations Commission, the airline chief said: "We'll be phaffing and fluttering around for months, while the queues in Dublin airport get longer".
He warned that Ryanair would go to the courts if staff did not co-operate with the new system.
"These cossetted trade union members in a semi-State company cannot block progress, simply because they think they can in Bertie's banana land."