A THREATENED strike by SIPTU operatives in TEAM Aer Lingus could have "very serious consequences" for the future viability of the company, management has warned.
A management spokesman reacted strongly last night to criticism by both trade unions in TEAM and the Fianna Fail spokesman on Labour Affairs, Mr Tom Kitt, that the company is primarily responsible for poor industrial relations in its aircraft maintenance plant at Dublin airport.
SIPTU aviation branch official Mr Paul O'Sullivan and AEEU officer Mr Michael Brennan have both criticised the company in recent days. SIPTU is currently balloting 150 general operatives at the company for strike action in pursuit of outstanding claims over "upskilling", temporary workers and a productivity bonus.
Mr O'Sullivan said last night that his members had not taken the decision to ballot for strike action lightly, and some of the claims had been outstanding for a long time.
Mr Kitt called on the Minister for Transport, Mr Dukes, to intervene in the dispute. "Staff morale within this company is at an all time low," he said. "A comprehensive overhaul of industrial relation practices should be undertaken immediately."
However a spokesman for the Aer Lingus Group, which owns TEAM, said last night that SIPTU was in breach of agreed procedures by holding a strike ballot. It was contrary to a peace clause agreed in the Labour Court "and can have very serious consequences for business.
"TEAM's business plan, which was a condition of the EU's clearance for an injection of £175 million into the Aer Lingus Group by the Irish Government, targets a return to a break even position by 1999. Actions such as this put that target in jeopardy."
He said that problems over "upskilling" were primarily due to inter union problems. Temporary workers were employed within the terms of a Labour Court recommendation and the productivity claim had not been raised directly with the company since November 1995.