Unions yesterday offered the Government its "last chance" to enter "proper" negotiations on the future of Aer Rianta or face industrial action.
A letter on their behalf was delivered to the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, seeking talks on the future of the company under the auspices of an independent chairman.
Leaders of the four unions, SIPTU, IMPACT, Mandate and the TEEU, are to meet on October 20th to consider the Minister's response. The unions have already balloted in favour of industrial action.
The SIPTU president, Mr Jack O'Connor, declined to speculate on the likelihood or timing of such action in the event of Mr Brennan rejecting the unions' proposal.
"I am not going so far as to say we'll do this, that or the other, because that would place the Minister in a difficult position," he said. The unions were issuing an appeal to Mr Brennan rather than threatening anything at this time.
However, Mr Arthur Hall, of the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU), said it was the Government's last chance to deliver on promises to properly consult unions about the Aer Rianta break-up.
"If Mr Brennan wants to bring the workers on board there is still time, but only if there is the type of honest and full disclosure of the business case for change that a review can provide," Mr Hall said.
The unions' letter, seeking independently chaired talks without preconditions on either side, was sent to the Minister yesterday by the general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Mr David Begg.
A spokesman for Mr Brennan said he would study its contents and issue an early response.
