Four more days of Luas strikes in April

As three grades of Luas staff today enter talks at the Workplace Relations Commission on potential pay increases, driver colleagues are preparing for seven days of strikes within the next seven weeks.

Talks between the drivers and Luas operator Transdev at the WRC broke down earlier this week, with union Siptu saying all-out strikes were being considered.

In the meantime, drivers have decided to add four additional days of strikes with 48-hour stoppages on the weekends of April 2-3 and 23-24. Those are in addition to strikes already announced for St Patrick’s Day, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

Through their union, the drivers had initially been seeking pay increases of up to 53% but in the talks at the WRC earlier this week had moderated that claim to 6% per year over five years, meaning a total increase of 30%.

Siptu divisional organiser Owen Reidy said: “Despite Luas drivers substantially moderating their pay claim, Transdev is refusing to engage in negotiations.

“This situation, where an employer is treating workers with such disrespect, leaves them with no option but to escalate their industrial action.”

He said the exclusion of the Luas drivers from the negotiation process must end.

“The company is acting in an unacceptable manner towards this grade of workers,” he said.

Transdev said the actions of Siptu and the drivers “show a total disrespect to the public, Luas customers and business”.

Transdev managing director Gerry Madden said: “Transdev is willing to talk with the driver grade in the WRC but has stated that those talks will only be meaningful if the pay claim is modified to a reasonable point. I am disappointed with the notice served today and the disregard being shown to the public. The public, Luas customers and business are the real losers here.”

Following the breakdown of talks between management and drivers earlier this week, WRC director general Kieran Mulvey called on the sides to “step down the rhetoric and step down the action perhaps”.

He said the dispute had to be resolved and the sides would have to work together when it was over.

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

The three grades which the company will meet with today are Luas traffic supervisors, revenue protection officers and supervisors.