The president of SIPTU, Jack O'Connor, has warned that his union remains opposed in principle to the break-up of Aer Rianta despite new proposals for legislation setting up three boards for Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.
Mr O'Connor described media reports that SIPTU had agreed to the break-up of Aer Rianta as 'totally untrue'. He said that no business case had been made for the restructuring.
He warned that he could not reassure his members that their security and quality of employment would not be endangered by the break-up. Mr O'Connor said that what has happened is that Transport Minister Seamus Brennan's assurances about security and quality of employment would be provided for in the proposed legislation.
Undertakings have been obtained that no staff or assets would be transferred to the new identities until a number of key conditions had been met, including business plans by the Minister for Finance and consultation with employee and trade unions interests in the formulation of these plans.
He said the proposals offered the possibility for all parties to test the viability of the proposal and the business plans before any further moves were taken.
The future of the airport authority has been central to negotiations on a new national pay agreement, which are continuing at Government Buildings.
Under a deal finalised in the early hours of this morning, legislation setting up three new boards for Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports will be published on Monday and will be enacted by July 8.
But the implementation date for the transfer of staff and assets to the new companies was brought forward from June 2005 to April 2005.
