Luas management announce bus service for St Patrick's Day

Update 11.25

Transdev has announced a special bus service in a bid to deal with the Luas strike on St Patrick's Day.

The company has said it will operate from Park and Ride stops into and out of Dublin city centre.

The announcement comes as Management and unions are in talks at the Workplace Relations Commission in the dispute over pay rises.

The company has said drivers pay claims are unrealistic.

Update 9.46

Luas management have said they will only re-start discussions with drivers when they drop their pay claim below 20%.

The row has already seen stoppages by tram drivers, and further strikes are planned for St Patrick's Day and over the Easter weekend.

Two further 48 hour strikes have also been announced for next month.

Talks between Transdev and the union SIPTU resume at the Workplace Relations Commission this morning, but the driver's claim isn't being discussed.

SIPTU'S Owen Reidy have said the drivers feel they are due a pay rise: “I do accept that the driver's claim from the outset has been ambitious to say the least.

“But you are talking about a group of workers who feel, given the work that they do and given the work that they will be expected to do over the next five years, they feel under paid.”