Fans face travel chaos as rail strike looms
Around 200 Iarnród Éireann employees are set for industrial action in Cork and Mallow after the company refused to reinstate a ticket collector who won his case for unfair dismissal.
SIPTU national industry secretary Michael Halpenny said strike notice was served on the company four weeks ago and is due to expire at midnight tonight.
Thousands of U2 fans are heading for Dublin on Friday for the first of three sell-out concerts at Croke Park. More than 50,000 hurling fans are expected at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork for the Munster final between All-Ireland champions Cork and Tipperary on Sunday afternoon and racing fans will flock to the Curragh for the Budweiser Irish Derby.
Mr Halpenny said the notice was served because of Irish Rail’s refusal to implement a ruling of the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) to reinstate the Cork-based SIPTU member who was unfairly dismissed.
“The ruling was made last January and was unanimous. SIPTU has been trying since then to get Irish Rail to honour the tribunal ruling, but to date the company has refused to do so,” Mr Halpenny said.
The union says the ticket collector, who has been an Irish Rail employee for 20 years, has been waiting two years to get his job back and has complied with all internal and external procedures.
Mr Halpenny said the stoppage would begin with the first shift tomorrow morning.
It is thought more than 10 intercity services could be disrupted each day.
The company last night admitted the operation of Cork-Dublin, Kerry-Dublin and Cork-Kerry intercity services, as well as Cork-Cobh and Cork-Mallow commuter services could be at risk from tomorrow.
An Irish Rail spokesman said its own appeals tribunal had upheld management’s decision to dismiss the employee, even though this was later overturned by the EAT.
“Under industrial relations law, and under established custom and practice across the CIÉ Group, an EAT decision can be appealed to the Circuit Court. Iarnród Éireann is pursuing this legal right,” a company spokesman said.
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