Sides in Luas dispute urged to ‘step down rhetoric’

The director of the Workplace Relations Commission has urged both sides of the ongoing Luas dispute to “step down their rhetoric” ahead of proposed strike action next week.

Kieran Mulvey’s comments come as unions raised the possibility of all-out strike action that would see Luas operations halted indefinitely.

Talks between unions and Luas operator Transdev over pay and condition for workers broke down this week.

Speaking on RTÉ radio, Mr Mulvey said that while there are “other groups” involved in the talks, he would like to see the company and drivers engage locally on the issue.

“I think at this stage everyone needs to step down the rhetoric, step down the action perhaps, and think of where they’re going and where they are in this dispute,” said Mr Mulvey.

“This dispute has to be resolved at some stage, and they all have to work together when it is all over.”

Luas drivers are set to strike on St Patrick’s Day and on Easter Monday.

Mr Mulvey said he had to be careful that the outcome of the Luas dispute does not lead to other unions and transport workers claiming “an erosion of differentials” and that it does not create inflationary wage pressures.

“There is a sense of responsibility and an onus placed on us within the commission and within the Labour Court that we don’t open floodgates either,” he said.

Mr Mulvey said he does not believe strike action on St Patrick’s Day and Easter Monday would yield public support for the drivers.

Meanwhile, members of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation have voted in favour of a motion from the union’s executive for industrial action in response to the continued ban on promotion in schools and what it says is an “increasing workload for teachers”.

The union said the ban on promotions, introduced in 2008, “has severely hit the career prospects of unpromoted teachers and has increased the work burden on teachers in schools”.

“Teachers are not prepared to see the department continually ramp up requirements and pressures on schools while ignoring a ban on promotion that has devastated school management structures,” said INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan.

She said it was clear from the result of the ballot that teachers “have had enough of being expected to run schools without the necessary resources and supports”.

“The department cannot expect schools to endlessly expand the self-evaluation of teaching and learning and take on board the self-evaluation of leadership and management in schools while watching leadership and management structures built up over years being dismantled,” she said.

Ms Nunan said it is not possible for schools to continue to innovate, deal with increasing societal problems, and meet “endless bureaucratic demands” without proper resources.