The row over which union should represent cabin crew at Aer Lingus is set to escalate. The dispute involves the two most powerful unions in the State and could not come at a worse time for the State airline, which is preparing for a public floatation.
It could also have implications for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions because the unions involved, IMPACT and SIPTU, have worked closely in the past in negotiating and monitoring successive national agreements.
Yesterday IMPACT formally requested the transfer of over 1,300 Aer Lingus cabin crew from SIPTU. If it goes ahead it will be the largest transfer of members between two unions in 20 years. At an ICTU hearing into the complaint last week, IMPACT indicated it would not recruit any cabin crew until there had been an "irretrievable" breakdown in relations between SIPTU and its members.
However earlier this week the chairwoman of the cabin crew dissidents, Ms Nora O'Reilly, warned that they would look elsewhere, or set up their own union rather than face delays while the SIPTU complaint was investigated. Subsequently she handed in over 1,300 forms to IMPACT, which has now decided to seek the immediate transfer of members.