SIPTU has sanctioned a one man strike at Ryanair, writes Padraig Yeates, Industry and Employment Correspondent.
The company, which does not recognise unions, has rejected a Labour Court recommendation calling for the reinstatement of a baggage handler it dismissed last June.
Mr Ray Healy, the dismissed man, is a member of SIPTU. Last month he voted for strike action to regain his job in what was probably the smallest ballot ever conducted by the union.
Yesterday, SIPTU's civil aviation branch received sanction from the union's executive. It now has to serve official strike notice on the company. If Ryanair does not withdraw Mr Healy's dismissal, it is likely to be picketed before the end of the month.