The SIPTU union is considering the contents of a letter from Aer Lingus, in which the company warned that staff at the airline would be suspended if they did not cooperate in training new employees recruited on lower terms and conditions.
A SIPTU official told RTE news that the matter would be brought to a meeting of the union's disputes committee next Monday evening - ahead of the expiry of SIPTU's strike notice on Wednesday.
Aer Lingus said this morning it had drawn up contingency plans to minimise passenger disruption in the event of industrial action from Wednesday onwards. It is waiving all change fees for customers booked to travel on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week.
In a statement, the airline called on SIPTU to engage in 'substantive talks' on its proposals, and said it was available to discuss its plans in the Labour Relations Commission and Labour Court.
The airline's letter to SIPTU from company management, warning of possible suspensions, is seen as raising industrial relations tension over cost-cutting at the airline.
As of now, Aer Lingus has recruited 12 new check-in and boarding staff on the lower conditions set out in the company's cost cutting proposals.
But SIPTU has already notified management it will not cooperate with training these new recruits. The recruits are due to shadow experienced staff on the job, from next Wednesday, the same day that strike notice expires.
