Rail workers face sack over picket

A THREAT to sack 13 line maintenance workers could cause a strike that would paralyse the national rail network.

Iarnród Éireann has informed the workers they will be dismissed if they don’t call off unofficial action that has held up a €105 million commuter rail project for the past two weeks.

If the 10 SIPTU members and three from the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) do not report for work today they will be dismissed by the company.

“The unofficial strikers have been given one final opportunity to avoid loosing their jobs. In order to so they must return to work,” said an Iarnród Éireann spokeswoman.

The company admitted the move was almost unprecedented, as it has not threatened to dismiss so many staff in one go since the 1970s.

But railway bosses said they need to commence work on the Cork-Midleton line, which is due to reopen next spring. The line maintenance workers have been mounting a 24-hour picket since September 23, following a dispute over who should lay the track.

The men claimed it was their job, but the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) ruled the work should be carried out by the appointed contractor and staff from Iarnród Éireann’s new works department.

The men claim they should be compensated for losing the work.

As a result of the picket, Iarnród Éireann also decided to postpone the planned upgrading of six stations and 11 platforms on the Cork-Cobh line.

This €5m project has been postponed indefinitely.

Although the workers are involved in unofficial action, it is feared their colleagues will take industrial action in support of them if the railway company carries out the threat. It is understood union shop stewards are to meet with Iarnród Éireann management at Liberty Hall, Dublin, today to discuss the issue.

However, the decision to issue the threat before this meeting is being seen as provocative by the colleagues of the 13 workers.

Earlier this week, a member of the NBRU decided to abandon the picket and reported back to work.

Since the unofficial action began, the workers have been taken off the Iarnród Éireann payroll.

In the meantime, Iarnród Éireann management says it has engaged in informal discussions with both SIPTU and NBRU representatives in an attempt to resolve the dispute.