The Government has made a last-minute appeal to Ryanair to reconsider its decision not to attend Labour Court talks today in a dispute with employees over pay, conditions and union recognition.

Mr Tom Kitt, Minister of State for Enterprise and Employment, told the Dail it was "very disappointing" that the airline had refused to attend the talks. "It is not in the interests of the parties to this dispute that it should be prolonged," he said. "The invitation of the Labour Court provided an opportunity to the parties to state their case to an independent third party."

The Minister told the company that he wanted to hear that "they and their employees are engaged in a dialogue on a fair and open basis. I am still convinced that dialogue, especially if mediated by the Labour Court, could assist in arriving at clarification and could contribute to a solution."

Mr Kitt was responding to Democratic Left's industrial relations spokesman, Mr Pat Rabbitte, who said the issues involved were of enormous importance and if not resolved, "have the capacity to inflict significant damage on our industrial relations procedures".

Mr Rabbitte, raising the issue on the adjournment, added that the company's refusal to attend the Labour Court "suggests that the company is not only prepared to deny workers what most people would regard as a fundamental right, but is also thumbing its nose at the institutions established by the State to try and resolve industrial relations problems".

The Minister said he was "particularly disappointed that Ryanair did not see the powerful possibility to solve the basic issue that the court could have provided".

The dispute arose when SIPTU wrote to the company on behalf of ground handling staff who had joined the union, seeking better pay and conditions. The company said it preferred to deal directly with its 950 staff on these matters. Some 36 ground handling staff then began industrial action earlier this month.

Mr Rabbitte said, "It is shocking, as we approach the end of the 20th century, that an Irish company, and a very successful and profitable one, should be refusing to recognise the right of its employees to join and be represented by the trade union of their choice."