Threats of industrial action including switching off the runway lights in the State's main airports were issued by union leaders yesterday in response to plans by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, to break up both CIÉ and Aer Rianta.
Debating an emergency motion at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions biennial conference in Tralee, which condemned Mr Brennan's "ideologically-driven privatisation campaign", union representatives accused him of breaching Government commitments under social partnership.
However, Congress general secretary, Mr David Begg, advised caution after several speakers spoke of possible strikes and street protests. A number had cited the success of the farmers' "tractorcade" demonstration in January.
Mr Begg said it would be a mistake to follow the farmers on to the streets. "Don't follow a failed model, because that is what it is. I remember the day we went into Government Buildings to conclude the negotiations on Sustaining Progress and the farmers had the 3,000 tractors out on Merrion Square.
"But three months later they had to come back into the Sustaining Progress model, because they made absolutely no progress," he said.
"There is a salutary lesson in all of that. The trade union movement must always husband its economic power and use it as ultimately we deem it necessary to do, but to do that in isolation from public opinion is a total failure. It was something that Larkin had to take into account in 1913, that public opinion cannot be dismissed."
The challenge for unions was to articulate the case for "the defence of the public realm" and to take citizens with them. "We should have no hesitation or reservations about that, because quite frankly we are right," he said.
One speaker who had advocated strike action if necessary, Mr John Bolger of the ATGWU, said later that he took Mr Begg's points on board, but he believed privatisation of a number of State services would become a reality if unions "continue to talk but do nothing".
"I made reference to the farmers flexing their muscles and the trade union movement should be flexing its muscles too. If it means calling a national stoppage, maybe that's something we have to do."
Mr Arthur Hall of the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) said Mr Brennan had suggested there might be a "summer of discontent", and workers were prepared to give him one. If he proceeded with his plans for Aer Rianta, the runway lights at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports would be switched off and the airport police and fire brigades would be getting the "blue flu".
SIPTU vice-president, Mr Jack O'Connor, said thousands of workers in the public service were preparing to mobilise in defence of their jobs and quality of employment. They hoped confrontation could be avoided, he said.
Delegates passed the emergency motion, jointly tabled by SIPTU, IMPACT, the TEEU and Mandate, condemning Mr Brennan's plan to break up Aer Rianta into three separate companies and "impose" a privatised terminal at Dublin Airport.
It also condemned the Minister's move to dismantle CIÉ and "privatise" the Dublin bus service.
