Irish Rail to sack striking maintenance staff

IRISH Rail is to sack line maintenance staff holding up work upgrade works to the Cork-Cobh line.

The company says the small group of Cork-based “permanent way” staff have maintained an unofficial industrial action beginning two weeks ago at Glounthaune and that action has now caused the deferment of the line improvements.

Last month the rail workers went to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) claiming it was their job to lay the track. However, the LRC decided the work should be carried out by the appointed contractor and staff at Iarnród Éireann’s new works’ department.