Potentially serious ramifications for commuters.
Despite Luas workers reducing their pay rise claim from 53%, talks have once again broken down between SIPTU and Transdev, leaving the possibility of an indefinite Luas shutdown in the coming weeks.
https://twitter.com/ingridmileyRTE/status/706949419137167362
Negotiations
appeared to be improving yesterday, but Gerry Madden, Managing Director of Transdev, has revealed that, after 11 hours of discussions, staff pay claims are still above 30%, as reported by
RTÉ.
While Madden dismissed the idea of an all out shutdown of the Luas service, the Director General of the Workplace Relations Commission, Kieran Mulvey, admitted that further strike action is a possibility.
Furthermore, Transdev has released this statement:
"We wish to acknowledge the assistance of the WRC in seeking to move this dispute forward.
"However, the ‘bottom line’ positions put forward by the drivers and traffic supervisors do not provide any realistic basis for negotiations.
"At this stage, we are requesting SIPTU to convene a general meeting of their members as a matter of urgency to review the mandate for industrial action (including St Patrick's Day and Easter Sunday/Monday) and to establish whether the positions being put forward by the internal representatives reflects the views of the majority of their members.
"Following this meeting the company will re-engage with SIPTU to determine if a basis then exists for resolving this dispute."
Luas services in the capital were already shutdown for
four days in February, while more are scheduled for
St. Patrick's Day and over
Easter.
