Commuters be warned, a complete shutdown of the Luas could be on the cards

No sign of a resolution in sight.

A complete shutdown of the Luas on an indefinite basis could be on the cards if there continues to be no sign of a resolution in the dispute between Luas employees and Transdev, the Luas operator, an industrial relations expert has warned. Luas employees have already taken strike action on eight separate days this year and with a further eight days planned over the next seven weeks, a dispute over salaries paid to Luas employees shows no sign of ending anytime soon. While strike action on particular days has caused frustration for commuters, a far more severe course of action could eventually be taken, according to Bill Roche, Professor of Industrial Relations & Human Resources at UCD. Speaking to Morning Ireland on RTE Radio One this morning, Roche said that a shutdown of services might "focus minds on where to take the dispute from here" and that bodies such as Labour Court, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions or Ibec may yet become involved. SIPTU, who have warned of a lockout and potential employee lay-offs, were represented on Morning Ireland by divisional organiser Owen Reidy, who also suggested that parties not directly involved in the dispute needed to assume more responsibility in helping to find a resolution. "I think there are many possibilities but what I think needs to happen is that beyond Transdev and SIPTU, who are the two main actors in this dispute, the other stakeholders who have a responsibility for public transport and the operation of the contract need to step up to the plate," Reidy said.