Talks to end Luas row ‘will be long and difficult’

Luas operator Transdev has warned next Monday’s talks at the Workplace Relations Commission to end the prolonged pay dispute with its employees will be “difficult and long” given the differences between the two sides.

To facilitate the talks, a 24-hour strike action planned for next Tuesday has been cancelled.

However, while WRC chief executive Kieran Mulvey told RTÉ the sides were better off at the commission as they would not make progress by megaphone argument.

He added that it would be difficult to find a resolution given the distance between the two sides.

The workers, members of Siptu, have sought pay increases of up to 53% while the company has indicated 3% with productivity would be its starting position.

The WRC’s decision to bring the sides into talks is on the expectation that there is scope to bring the figures closer together.

Hanging over the discussions, however, is the threat of very disruptive strikes on St Patrick’s Day and on Easter Sunday and Monday.

Meanwhile, the WRC will today host talks between Cadbury manafacturer Mondelez and two unions which represent its staff Unite and Siptu.

Their members began an “indefinite” strike yesterday morning over, what the unions say, is an attempt by management to unilaterally outsource the jobs of 17 directly employed store workers.

The unions say that while they are attending the talks, the work stoppage at the Cadbury production plant in Coolock will continue and pickets outside the plant will remain in operation.

Unite regional coordinating officer Richie Browne said: “The unions have put forward proposals which would achieve productivity improvements and cost savings with no loss of permanent jobs.

“The bottom line is that outsourcing costs jobs, and unions are determined to resist such moves.”