Passengers face fresh strikes over ‘unprecedented attack’
TRAIN passengers face the threat of an all-out strike this month in a row that has already halted the rollout of a 10-minute Dart service.
Members of the National Bus and Railworkers’ Union (NBRU) and Siptu are set to ballot on industrial action. A result is expected on February 20, and strikes could take place a week after that. However, there is a threat of unofficial action even earlier.
Unions have claimed the company plans to force them to train new drivers rather than allow them to volunteer to do it. It is only two months since rail users suffered disruption when staff at the commercial semiState company halted services for two days to get a pay rise.
There are around 32 drivers who are waiting to be trained.
Last month, the drivers rejected a 1pc pay rise recom- mended by the Labour Court in return for mentoring the new drivers.
Now they claim the company plans to forge ahead with compulsory mentoring after talks to find a solution failed.
The NBRU accused the company of an “unprecedented attack”.
“The management at Iarnród Éireann has set itself on a course of major confrontation with its train drivers,” said general secretary Dermot O’Leary.
Siptu said it would ballot because the company had decided to impose its plans from Monday.
It has written to the Workplace Relations Commission asking it to intervene.
Irish Rail said industrial action would damage the interests of commuters and drivers.
A spokesman said unions had withdrawn co-operation with mentoring over the past 21 months and it had repeatedly had to delay the introduction of 10-minute frequency on the Dart and expansion of other commuter services.
A spokesman said drivers got the 1pc pay increase, on top of 7.5pc that will be paid to all workers over three years, following the last work stoppages.
He said they would also get an increase of almost 35pc in the allowance for driver mentoring.
Passenger numbers climbed to 45 million last year, matching levels in 2007.