8th March 2014, Saturday 1.30pm
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Senator Deirdre Clune has called on SIPTU to call off Industrial
action which is set to take place between 5am and 9am next Friday and
promises to cause major disruption at Dublin, Cork and Shannon
Airports.
“This will hurt Cork tourism and send out the wrong message to
overseas tourists. The actions of SIPTU in choosing this weekend to
strike are cynical and unhelpful in the extreme. St Patrick’s weekend
is a time for Ireland to showcase the best of our tourism product for
the summer season ahead. Our hotels, restaurants and tourism related
interests from Cork and beyond are just finding their feet and will
not thank SIPTU management for disrupting that recovery”
“I would call on SIPTU management to immediately call off the planned
strike and return to the negotiating table. Negotiations are ongoing
on this important issue. To strike before those negotiations are
exhausted is counterproductive. SIPTU must play a role in the recovery
of the Irish tourism sector and this planned industrial action flies
in the face of what we are trying to do in relation to rebuilding
confidence in our tourism product”
“Failte Ireland has said that the numbers of people employed in Irish
Tourism rose by 12% last year. During 2013, visitor numbers grew by 7%
and foreign earnings from tourism rose by EURO 300m, boosting overall
confidence in the sector. SIPTU needs to realise the damage that this
action is doing to this fragile recovery. I would call on SIPTU
management to reconsider their actions immediately”