Irish Rail talks: Union claims management are 'not negotiating with us'

Union representatives say they are not hopeful that a rail strike scheduled for rush hour on Friday morning will be called off.

Siptu, the NBRU and Irish Rail management are meeting at the Workplace Relations Commission this afternoon after 14 hours of talks yesterday achieved no major progress.

Irish Rail say they have tried their best to find a solution, but Dermot O'Leary of the NBRU says that management are not playing ball.

Mr O'Leary said: "They're not negotiating with us, that's the fact of the matter, we have tabled items in relation to our agenda - it's well known, it's public, it's out there - we've got no progress here.

"It's day seven, the minister and the department officials, who these people report to, have a decision to make on behalf of the travelling public of this country.

"Some assistance or some guidance needs to be given to those people inside here to negotiate, because if they don't do that, unfortunately, the trains won't be running on Friday morning."