Strike Snarls Dublin Airport

D U B L I N, Oct. 27 -- Strike action against Ireland’s nationalairline, Aer Lingus, snarled Dublin Airport and forced thousands offrustrated passengers to miss their flights Friday for the secondtime this month.

Some 1,400 members of the airline’s clerical staff stopped workfor four hours, forcing Aer Lingus to cancel about 35 of 160 dailyflights from Dublin Airport. Many of the rest were delayed forseveral hours. Aer Lingus estimated that 4,000 would-be passengerswere prevented from flying while another 10,000 faced long waits.

The industrial unrest looked likely to continue sporadically,with the clerical staff planning a 24-hour strike next Friday aswell. Ireland’s labor court called for both sides to attend a jointmediation session to prevent that next protest, an offerimmediately accepted by Aer Lingus directors but sidestepped by theclerks’ union.

Last week the cabin crews staged their own 24-hour strike,forcing Aer Lingus to cancel all flights that day. The airline’scaterers and baggage handlers have also threatened to mount theirown stoppages.

All the unionized workers complain about a salary structure thatstarts at 5.50 pounds (dlrs 6) per hour, a wage that doesn’t allow them to live comfortably amid Ireland’s booming economy. The expansion has drastically forced up the cost of accommodation and driving in the Irish capital.

The planned series of strikes is upsetting Irish governmentplans to privatize the airline next year.