Iarnród Éireann strike speculation denied

Unions and management at Iarnród Éireann have denied industrial action is in the offing at the transport company, in the wake of claims by Transport Minister Leo Varadkar there could be strikes “within the next one to two months”.

In an interview he gave to a newspaper last week, but which was published yesterday, the minister said he hoped the two sides could reach agreement, but he was “not hopeful”.

For the last 12 months, unions and management have been in talks on the company’s requirement for €8.5m in savings, including €4.7m from the staff pay bill involving pay cuts for the 3,800 staff.

A set of proposals were negotiated between the two sides at the Labour Relations Commission over the summer. However, when those proposals were put to a ballot of the unions, they were rejected. Contact between unions and management continued culminating in 14 days of discussions at the LRC just before Christmas.

However, those talks broke down again without agreement on substantial issues. The company has urgently sought the referral of the matter to the Labour Court. Spokesman Barry Kenny said its finances were in a “precarious” situation and it did not help that the €100,000 per week in payroll savings were still not being made.

However, he said the differences between the two sides were not insurmountable.

One union at Iarnród Éireann, Unite, said the comments by Mr Varadkar were “both unhelpful and ill-considered”.

“With outstanding issues expected to go before the Labour Court in the coming weeks, the minister would be well-advised to maintain a neutral stance rather than using the media to re-state the company’s position,” said Unite official Willie Quigley. “In the interests of rail service users, Unite would urge the minister to refrain from any further comment at this critical juncture.”

However, yesterday Mr Varadkar said his job was to look out for passengers who use public transport and the taxpayers who pay for it. “Savings need to be made in Irish Rail. This matter is in the Labour Court. I am not a broker between Irish Rail and the unions. That is the Fianna Fáil way of thinking and harks back to the deal-making Bertie days. It’s essential for the future of Irish Rail’s jobs, as well as the company, that unions reach agreement with management regarding payroll savings, within the next couple of months.

“I am confident that agreement can and will be reached. Every effort must be made to avoid industrial action.”