WORKERS WHO HANDLE baggage and check-in for a number of major airlines at Dublin Airport are considering taking industrial action.

Trade union Siptu said it represents a number of workers at Sky Handling Partner who are considering taking the action. 

Siptu says the action may be taken as a result of company management refusing to recognise the union for the purpose of collective bargaining wages and working conditions.

Sky Handling Partner delivers aviation handling and recruitment services at Dublin Airport. Workers deliver check-in and baggage handling services to major airlines that use the airport, including Qatar, Etihad, Delta, Air France, KLM and others.

According to Siptu organiser Jerry Brennan, the workers are considering industrial action “due to the refusal of Sky Handling Partner to engage with SIPTU representatives both locally and through the auspices of the Workplace Relation Commission”.

“The company has done this despite the fact that most of its staff are members of our Union,” Brennan said in a statement. 

Siptu said that a recent survey or workers at the company 98% of respondents said that they wanted the union representatives to negotiate their pay and conditions of employment with management.

“The staff in Sky Handling Partner are clear, they want union representation,” Brennan said.

“However, despite repeated requests, management has refused to sit down and negotiate.

As Ireland has some of the weakest collective bargaining laws in Europe, these workers are left with little option but to contemplate industrial action to vindicate their fundamental right to negotiate with their employer as a group of workers rather than as just individuals.

In a statement, Sky Handling Partner said:

“We have comprehensive arrangements in place to deal with our employee representatives directly in respect of their terms and conditions. These arrangements have been working effectively for over 20 years.

“We recently implemented a number of enhanced terms and conditions following agreement with our employees, including enhanced permanent, full time, pensionable contracts; substantial pay increases benchmarked against the market; and a dedicated Employee Assistance Programme, among others.

Feedback from our employees indicates widespread satisfaction with our existing arrangements.