Rail strikes to go ahead as pay cuts impasse continues

Strike action at Irish Rail is set to go ahead this weekend because "no progress" has been made at resolving an industrial dispute at the company.

Members of the National Bus and Railworkers’ Union will hold stoppages on August 24th and 25th with Siptu workers also due to hold a one-day strike on the 25th over the implementation of pay cuts.

Irish Rail said no trains will run on either day.

Siptu organiser Paul Cullen said there has been “no progress to date” and that the impasse will continue until Irish Rail “withdraws the unilateral action of cutting pay”.

He added: “unless that threat is removed I can’t see room for manoeuvre”.

Siptu also intends to conduct a 48-hour strike on September 7th and 8th as well as a further 24-hour strike on September 21st.

The National Bus and Railworkers’ Union plans two 24-hour stoppages for Sunday September 7th and Sunday September 21st.

Next month’s two stoppages coincide with the All-Ireland Hurling final and the All Ireland-Football final fixtures. The strike this month coincides with the All-Ireland Football semi-final.

“Unfortunately it does appear at this point there will be industrial action,” said a spokesman for Irish Rail. He said the company was left with no option after 20 months of talks but to implement pay cuts to protect the “future of the company and the employment it maintains”.

The spokesman also said Irish Rail chief executive David Franks is in ongoing contact with the company despite currently being on holidays.

The cost saving measures involve a temporary reduction in basic pay ranging from 1.7 per cent for staff earning €56,000 or less (74 per cent of the workforce) up to 6.1 per cent for those earning over €100,000.

The measures were accepted by the TSSA, TEEU and Unite trade unions but rejected by the NBRU and Siptu.

NBRU general secretary Dermot O’Leary said the strike would go ahead as long as the threat of pay cuts remains. “If the company steps back from the brink, then that’s a different matter,” he said.

Mr O’Leary also said there is a “big issue in terms of Government responsibility” and criticised what he said was the reduction of subventions for railway infrastructure to 1998 levels. “There are a lot of issues at play here,” he said.

Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe has previously stated that payroll savings are required because of the “very difficult financial challenges” faced by the company.

“The need for cost reductions has been confirmed by the Labour Court who has found that the viability of Irish Rail depends on the implementation of these measures,” he has said.

Mr Donohoe added: “I would encourage all employees to reflect very carefully on the implications if Irish Rail is unable to secure its viability.”