The group wrote to management at the DAA on Thursday of last week.

'The claim has only just gone in and we haven't heard anything from the DAA back yet, ' said their representative Dermot O' Loughlin who is head of the SIPTU Civil Aviation Branch.

If a positive response is not forthcoming, however, O'Loughlin said they will be ballot for industrial action.

Strike action by the group would mean that, under airport safety rules, no planes could land or take off.

'We will be waiting for a reaction but obviously it's negative we will be balloting for action. We will be giving them adequate time to respond, ' said Mr. Loughlin.

The workers are looking for their work injury scheme to be brought more in line with the Garda SA-ochA na and the Fire Brigade. According to Mr. O'Loughlin, 12 months is the maximum sick or injury pay allowed to a staff member who is out of work due to injury.

'With the type of work we are now doing there is a higher probability of getting injured and we are more prone. We have to deal with everything from security breaches to fist fights. The job has changed a lot in recent years. We need an improvement with the current scheme, which is inadequate, ' he said.