Rail Management Urged To Engage In New Talks

Irish Rail has been urged to engage constructively with unions following the latest strike action in an ongoing dispute.

SIPTU has called on Irish Rail management to honour commitments on past productivity it entered into in previous agreements with workers.

SIPTU Organiser, Paul Cullen, said: "Following a three hour work stoppage on Friday, 23rd October, SIPTU train drivers resumed their work delivering an efficient public transport system.

"It is unfortunate that train divers were left with no option but to undertake industrial action today due to the failure of the company to engage in genuine negotiations on its previous commitment to workers in relation to past productivity.

"During talks between workers' representatives and management over recent days, which were facilitated by the Workplace Relations Commission, unions have engaged in a manner aimed at reaching a just resolution to this dispute. However, a similar approach was not evident on the management side. During the talks management representatives released information directly from discussion documents as well as willfully misleading statements about the impact of scheduled industrial action."

He added: "The confrontational attitude adopted by management during these talks is part of a wider deterioration in its approach to industrial relations over recent months. Unless there is a real change in its approach, in particular a willingness to address past productivity in line with the agreement it entered into with trade unions in September 2014, further industrial action is inevitable.

"A threat by management to offset what it claims was the cost the company incurred from today's industrial action from any proposal it intends to present aimed at concluding this dispute is not constructive to finding an overall settlement. This threat should be withdrawn."

A further work stoppage is scheduled for Friday, 6th November, between 6.00 a.m. and 9.00 a.m.

(MH/CD)