Stranded workers vent fury over Luas stoppages
90,000 passengers affected
TENS of thousands of commuters faced travel disruption yesterday – and will do so again today – as Luas workers continue their strike in a dispute over pay.
Around 90,000 Luas passengers were forced to make alternative arrangements for a second week in a row as the Red and Green lines ground to a halt in Dublin.
The stoppages started at 5.30am yesterday and will continue until 6.30am tomorrow.
Commuters outside Heuston Station in Dublin told the Irish Daily Mail yesterday that they had no sympathy for the Luas workers and many considered their €42,500-ayear salaries ‘good enough for the amount of work they do’.
The strike action centres on demands by staff for improved pay and conditions. SIPTU members at Luas have called for a pay increase of between 8.5% and 53.8%.
The Luas workers – including drivers, traffic supervisors, revenue protection officers and their supervisors – are seeking salaries on a par with Irish Rail staff.
The maximum salary for a Luas driver is €42,500 for a 39-hour week, while Irish Rail workers earn approxi mately € 55,000 for a 43 ½ - hour week.
However, Transdev, the firm that runs the Luas, says the demands for a pay increase are not sustainable from a company point of view as they would add €6million a year to the current payroll.
There has been no breakthrough in the Luas dispute and last week Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe ruled out providing any additional Government funding to facilitate a resolution.
Transdev faces fines of €100,000 per day for failing to provide a service on the network. That means fines totalling €400,000 for the four days of strikes so far.
Further stoppages are scheduled f or next month, i ncluding St Patrick’s Day, putting pressure on buses again.
Attention is now shifting to the next stoppages, which are due to take place on March 8 and March 17.
It is feared that a Luas shutdown on St Patrick’s Day could cost Dublin around €50million and cause major traffic disruption in the city. There is widespread concern that it will hit many of the tourists who flock to Dublin for St Patrick’s Day.
Among those affected yesterday was Camila Olowiak, who works in the IFSC, and was again, for a second week, queuing up for buses outside Heuston Station instead of taking the Luas to work.
The 25-year-old told the Mail yesterday: ‘I am frustrated and annoyed because it’s cold outside this morning and I’m waiting for this bus.
‘It was the same thing last week: everyone either had to walk and get on buses. I find it a huge inconvenience.
‘I had to leave my house earlier this morning to make sure I could
No sympathy for Luas workers
get on one of these earlier buses.
‘Later tonight, there will be further disruption when I’m trying to make my way home from work, as everyone rushes to get on the earlier buses.’
SIPTU said yesterday that it was prepared to negotiate on its claim seeking pay increases for drivers of up to 53.8%.
Transdev said the pay claim was excessive, but said it would negotiate on its offer of between 1% and 3% if SIPTU made concessions on productivity.
Taxi drivers reported a surge in business thanks to the Luas strike – and are expecting that surge to continue today. Taxi service Hailo experienced record numbers of prebookings for the morning rush hour during the strike last week.
Hailo general manager Tim Arnold said: ‘Based on data from last week’s strike, we are once again anticipat- ing high levels of demand during rush hour this week.
‘ While we will have a greater number of taxi drivers available at these times, it will be much easier to hail a taxi at 7am than it will be at 8am.
‘Most Hailo pre-bookings came in as people went to bed – 33% of morning bookings were placed eight to ten hours in advance.
‘If you can, place your pre-book order earlier to make sure you get a cab confirmed before we reach prebook capacity.’
‘I find it a huge inconvenience’