More Irish rail strikes

Last-gasp bid to avert national rail strike

By Stephen Rogers
AN 11th hour intervention by the Labour Relations Commission last night averted a national train strike which threatened to grind the network to a halt.

However, intercity and commuter services to and from Cork and Tralee face another day of disruption as 15,000 passengers face travel chaos again today.

The dispute has cost Iarnród Éireann €2m so far.

Train drivers had been planning to halt every service, including the Dart, from today in protest at new demands on Cork drivers.When those drivers turned up for work yesterday, they were told they could not return to duties unless they signed a document guaranteeing they would never strike again.

Not only did the 40 Cork drivers refuse to sign, they contacted colleagues around the country. The drivers decided the only way to force Iarnród Éireann to withdraw its demands was close down the whole network.

“The only way drivers can make the company listen is to hit them where they will listen in Dublin,” said one source. “That means everything has to stop, including the Dart.”

However, last night the drivers pulled back from the brink when their unions and the company were invited to exploratory talks at the commission.

While the Cork strike will continue, most of the country — for the moment — will have train services.

However, if the talks fail, or if the document banning any strike action is not withdrawn, a national strike is almost certain.

Yesterday alone, 19 intercity connections from Dublin to Cork and Kerry were cancelled. In addition, Cork/Cobh, Cork/Mallow and Cork/Tralee services did not operate. The same services have already been called off for today.

Barry Kenny of Iarnród Éireann defended its handling of the dispute. He said the company had to include a line banning any future industrial action.

Mr Kenny said the action so far was undermining consumer confidence and could no longer continue.

“To ensure service continuity, Iarnród Éireann sought commitments from drivers that the full terms of existing agreements would be worked, including undertaking driving duties assigned during rosters, and that unofficial action would cease. These commitments were not agreed to.”

People due to travel by train today should visit the www.irishrail.ie website.

Yesterday, Transport Minister Noel Dempsey called for both sides’ best efforts in the talks, adding he was not going to blame either side for the current situation.

He said there was no excuse for putting the public through such an ordeal.

Conor Healy of Cork Chamber said the dispute was having a bad impact on the region, and called for a resolution of the row as quickly as possible.

Q&A

Q. What's the dispute about?

A. Last Thursday, a Cork driver was asked to train a colleague. He refused, saying he had been rostered to work ‘piloting’ duties.

Iarnród Éireann said under company/union agreements, the driver could be asked to carry out different duties within rostered hours. When he refused, they took the disciplinary action. His 40 colleagues in Cork, as well as others around the country, stopped work in solidarity.

Q. The drivers agreed to go back to work on Sunday. So why are they still on strike?

A. The Cork drivers did say they would go back to work. However, the same drivers privately admitted they believed there would be another flare-up, forecasting the company would put conditions on their return. They were proved right when the company demanded each sign a document guaranteeing they never engaged in unofficial action again.

Q. How likely is this to spread nationwide?

A. That depends on the successful negotiating skills of the LRC. If it does not break the impasse, more than likely the Cork drivers will demand all-out action by their colleagues nationwide, claiming that the only way to get their way is to bring the problem to Dublin.