[15-10-2007] possible disruption due strike action on southern services this Monday

[ThomasJ]

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=303

POSSIBLE DISRUPTION TO RAIL SERVICES - MONDAY 15TH OCTOBER, INDUSTRIAL ACTION by Corporate Communications


Iarnród Éireann advises customers that some rail services cannot be guaranteed this Monday 15th October, due to a threatened one-day industrial action by Permanent Way (line inspection and maintenance) staff in the south of the country.

Services which may be affected include:

- Cork/Dublin

- Ennis/Limerick/Dublin

- Tralee/Dublin

- Tralee/Cork

- Cork commuter services (Cork/Cobh, Cork/Mallow)

Iarnród Éireann advises customers to check online at www.irishrail.ie or phone 1850366222 before traveling on Monday 15th October.

The industrial action, being taken by SIPTU and NBRU Permanent Way staff in the south of the country concerns staff deployment issues.

Iarnród Éireann and SIPTU and NBRU have engaged extensively to resolve these issues, including lengthy conciliation conferences chaired by the Labour Relations Commission.

This process has produced an opportunity to address the issues at a Labour Court hearing week commencing Monday 22nd October, subject to the removal of threat of industrial action on Monday 15th October.

Iarnród Éireann urges SIPTU and NBRU, and Permanent Way staff, to avail of this opportunity, and ensure our customers are not unnecessarily disrupted.

Iarnród Éireann apologises to customers for any inconvenience caused.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Yes, tell everyone at rush hour on the Friday beforehand.

It appears to be official action - therefore IE would have had notice long before today.

[Mark Gleeson]

This is an old dispute, it appears related to a pervious strike in Cork http://forum.platform11.org/showthread.php?t=1194&highlight=cork+strike

It is confined to the Limerick Junction district engineering section which covers Portloaise - Cork - Cobh/Youghal, Limerick - Limerick Junction - Waterford West, Nenagh Branch and Mallow Tralee

It is an official strike, IE would have got notice on this at the latest last Monday so the delay in telling the public is inexcusable

While the strike itself will not result in train cancellations in the short term, it all depends on whether or not drivers will pass pickets, and to be fair you can't blame a union member for not passing a legitimate picket

As such it is likely that Dublin Cork will be at best 50% with trains turning back from Mallow in some cases. Limerick Junction shuttle would be gone. If its driven by a Dublin driver it most likely will run.

[weehamster]

staff deployment issues
What exactly is the issue and does this warrant a strike and possible major disruption to rail services.

[ThomasJ]

Barry kenny was on the radio earlier he was saying it was to do with working patterns ie number of days they work over i think.

[Mark Gleeson]

One-day strike to hit major rail routes
Martin Wall, Industry Correspondent

Thousands of rail passengers face disruption on Monday as a result of a planned 24-hour stoppage by line inspection and maintenance staff.
Iarnród Éireann said last night that routes which may be affected include Cork/Dublin, Ennis/Limerick/Dublin, Tralee/Dublin and Tralee/Cork as well as commuter services in the Cork region such as Cork/Cobh and Cork/Mallow.

The trade union Siptu said that rail workers were being forced to take industrial action because management was continuing to forge ahead with plans which undermined existing working conditions without agreement.

Siptu branch organiser Willie Noone said management was "progressively introducing a five-day week spread over seven days for certain categories of workers and utilising contract workers to carry out essential work which should be done by our members".

An Iarnród Éireann spokesman strongly denied that the company had breached any agreements.

He said that under a deal reached in 2000 line inspectors and maintenance staff were rostered on a Monday to Friday basis with some night-time work.

Staff employed after the agreement worked under more flexible arrangements while contractors were also used to carry out some night-time work, he said.

He added that a number of the pre-2000 staff were seeking to opt out of compulsory night work while at the same time seeking first option on other night work which attracted premium overtime pay.

The spokesman said that the issue had arisen among a handful of staff based in Cork. If the company agreed to the union claim, it could have to lay off up to 50 staff who have more flexible working arrangements, he added.

The company said it had engaged in extensive efforts with Siptu and another union, the NBRU, to resolve the dispute.

It said that the Labour Relations Commission had recommended that the issue should be referred to the Labour Court and that there was an opportunity for this to be heard in the week after next subject to the removal of the threat of industrial action.

"Iarnród Éireann urges Siptu and NBRU, and permanent way staff, to avail of this opportunity, and ensure our customers are not unnecessarily disrupted," it said.

Siptu said it remained available for talks over the weekend in an effort to resolve the dispute.
© 2007 The Irish Times
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2007/1013/1192222978246.html

[Mark Gleeson]

Rail strike set to cause chaos for passengers

RAIL passengers face travel chaos on Monday morning with train services in the south and south east of the country likely to be cancelled because of a one-day strike.

Unions have called a one-day strike in a dispute over working conditions and how staff are deployed, and up to 100 services in Cork, Kerry and Limerick are likely to be cancelled.

And the strike, which Iarnrod Eireann expects to go-ahead, will disrupt both the inter-city and commuter services. All local services in Cork will be cancelled, while services for Cork/Dublin, Ennis/Limerick/ Dublin, Tralee/Dublin and Tralee/Cork will also be affected.

The industrial action is being taken because management and unions cannot agree on how 450 'permanent way' staff -- who carry out line inspections and maintenance -- are deployed.
It is understood that an agreement reached in 2000 guaranteed that all existing employees would work Monday to Friday, but that new staff would have more flexible working arrangements and work at weekends, while outside contractors could also be used.

Sources in Iarnrod Eireann said that unions were now demanding that their members have 'first refusal' on overtime outside their normal working hours, but would not guarantee to carry out the work.

"Some staff on the Monday to Friday would be rostered for night work, but they're trying to pick and choose what hours they work and are demanding if there's night work above and beyond their hours they have first refusal," one source said.

"But they won't guarantee that they'll do the work. We've been at this for quite some time and there was a 14-hour meeting on Thursday.

The issue for customers is they may have to face pickets, but if it drags on safety considerations arise."

Unions sources rejected the company claims, saying that any permanent staff member employed since 2000 was entitled to work Monday to Friday with overtime.

Only people on contracts could have their working hours changed, and there was no evidence that workers demanded 'first refusal' on overtime but then refused it.

There had never been a situation over seven years where night-time work has not been covered, one source said.

Further information about rail travel options is available at www.irishrail.ie or from 1850366222.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rail-strike-set-to-cause-chaos-for-passengers-1166256.html
© Irish Independent 2007

[Mark Gleeson]

Commuters face chaos with threat of rail strike

By Stephen Rogers
THOUSANDS of rail commuters could face travel chaos on Monday as Irish Rail staff threaten to grind all services into and throughout Munster to a halt in a 24-hour strike.

If the action by up to 500 workers goes ahead as proposed by SIPTU and the National Bus and Rail Union, it would mean Irish Rail cannot guarantee the hourly Cork-Dublin services, along with services from Ennis, Limerick and Tralee to Dublin, Tralee to Cork and all Cork commuter services.

The dispute surrounds claims by the rail unions over the terms and conditions of permanent-way staff who look after line inspection and maintenance.

The workers are claiming that, contrary to agreements put in place with the company in 2000, they are not being given access to premium night-time and weekend shifts because those are being given to cheaper labour.

“Rail workers are being forced to take industrial action because management is continuing to forge ahead with plans which undermine existing working conditions without agreement,” said SIPTU Branch Organiser Willie Noone.

“Management is progressively introducing a five-day week spread over seven days for certain categories of workers and utilising contract workers to carry out essential work which should be done by our members,” he said.

However, the company claims it is following all the correct procedures, that the staff are currently employed on a Monday to Friday basis and have no right to claim priority for the other shifts.

The unions balloted their members for strike more than a month ago and set midnight Sunday as the date for the action.

Both sides have endured marathon talks in the Labour Relations Commission.

Tomorrow, the unions will meet with their members to decide whether they will forgo the strike and take the matter to the Labour Court in a week’s time.

The company is hopeful that the unions will opt to defer the disruptive action to see if third parties can find a resolution.

In the meantime, Irish Rail has asked passengers to visit its website www.irishrail.ie or contact its freephone number 1850 366222 for any updates on the situation. It said it will maintain updates for staff in the media.

© Irish Examiner 2007
http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=ireland-qqqm=ireland-qqqa=ireland-qqqid=45243-qqqx=1.asp

[weehamster]

So let me get this straight, and please correct me if I'm off the mark.

Because certain Irish Rail staff can't get more pay on top of their existing salary, possible major disruption to train services that people need to get to work etc... is justified.

[Mark Gleeson]

Thats it more or less

Only positive thing is its a actual legal strike which means we know about it

[weehamster]

I Think 'positive' is much too strong of a word to use in this instance.;) As for this being a legal strike compared to the previous lightning strikes, since SIPTU and NBRU didn't not give out to their members for not going to the official route, I see those also as official strikes. :mad:

[Mark Gleeson]

Last time these guys went out there was no warning at least we now know something is likely to happen

[ThomasJ]

just heard on radio that the talks at the LRC broke up tonight without resolution... so not looking good for tomorrow.