Thousands of commuters face rail chaos as strike looms

THOUSANDS of rail passengers could be left stranded in the run up to Christmas as a breakaway branch of train drivers look set to begin strike action in a bitter dispute over union recognition.

The results of a strike ballot of 100 former Irish Locomotive Driver's Association (ILDA) drivers, now represented by the ATGWU, will become known this afternoon.

But former ILDA boss Brendan Ogle, who led workers through several stoppages including a 10-week lock-out in 2000, said he expected the ballot to be passed.

"The drivers are feeling frustrated and annoyed that they continue to be excluded from talks on new rostering that continues to take place.

"And they are frustrated that SIPTU and ICTU won't sit down to discuss possible ways of moving forward," he said.

The current dispute is about new Irish Rail rosters due to start on December 14 as services are improved and expanded.

But the former ILDA drivers have also been engaged in a bitter dispute over union recognition for several years since they left SIPTU and the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) to form ILDA in 1998.

Since then Irish Rail, the other unions and ICTU have resolutely refused to recognise or negotiate with the ILDA drivers who now form the 3/57 branch of the ATGWU.

Both ICTU and the High Court have endorsed this position and told the ATGWU they have no right to represent the former ILDA drivers.

However, led by Mr Ogle, the drivers are continuing to seek recognition in a dispute that could split the ATGWU and fracture relations between the unions within ICTU itself.

Should a strike go ahead it is likely the ATGWU the second largest ICTU contributor after SIPTU would be expelled from congress.

But if the drivers were to gain recognition there are fears among the other unions and Irish Rail that other breakaway groups would emerge inflicting huge damage to the current organisation of the trade union movement.

Either way, ICTU, Irish Rail and rail passengers will likely suffer unless a resolution is found.

Mr Ogle insisted last night that strike action could be averted if management agreed to talk to drivers.

"If Irish Rail postponed the changes, there won't be a dispute. If Irish Rail sat down and talked there won't be a dispute," he said.

"We have been working terms and conditions that we did not agree for three and a half years now. For three and a half years they haven't dealt with a single grievance and we are still working to these terms."

Mr Ogle accused SIPTU of refusing to engage in talks.

"I don't know how SIPTU think they can resolve this without even sitting down to talk. We are prepared to move in a direction we have never moved since we were formed," he said.

A SIPTU source said the ATGWU drivers had failed to get recognition through ICTU and the High Court and that the disputes committee of congress had ruled that NBRU and SIPTU should be given their members back.

"There is a very firm view that should one group be recognised within CIE there would be many more to follow," the source said.

That view was echoed by Irish Rail's John Keenan who portrayed Irish Rail as being caught up in a problem it could do nothing about.

"It's not good enough to turn up without a licence and demand access," he said.