The threat of industrial action at Irish airports disrupting the first major meeting of Ireland's EU presidency remains this evening, but the next 24 hours are likely to be crucial in deciding whether stoppages take place.
SIPTU members at Dublin and Shannon airports balloted in favour of industrial action last week and tomorrow Aer Rianta workers in Cork will vote over the Government plan to break the company into three parts.
Currently, the action is aimed at the meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers in Dublin on January 22nd and 23rd. But further details could emerge tomorrow after the unions industrial action committee meets in Cork to formalise its plan.
Three other unions - IMPACT, Mandate and the TEEU - have agreed to meet the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, after he said workers' pay and conditions would not be affected by the proposed break-up.
The Minster this evening received a detailed letter from SIPTU seeking further information about his assurances. His response could prove crucial to the outcome of tomorrow's vote in Cork.
If the action goes ahead the union has said it wants to avoid disruption to the general public.
Mr Michael Halpenny, SIPTU's national industrial officer, said: "We want to minimise any impact at all on the public, but we need to get our message across and we need to get it across where it matters," Mr Halpenny said.
"It is the Government that concocted this economic madness as far as we're concerned," he said, restating the union's oppostiion to the plan.