The Dublin Airport Authority has confirmed that it is cutting the annual bonuses for staff due to the need for financial cutbacks.
SIPTU says that part time members of the DAA will ballot for industrial action in pursuit of full payment of the bonuses - though there is no immediate risk of disruption to flights.
The DAA described the bonuses as 'discretionary, but acknowledged that in recent years, they had always been paid to all staff with each worker receiving €1,500 last year.
In recent years part time or reduced hours staff have also been paid the same total bonus as their full time colleagues. However, this year, part-timers will only be paid on a pro-rata basis.
It is understood that over 500 part time staff would be affected in the three airports in Dublin, Cork and Shannon.
A DAA spokesperson said the annual bonus was calculated based on a productivity based formula that has been in existence for many years. He said the application of that formula this year would result in a lower bonus for all.
