[27-2-2006] DART services disrupted by unofficial strike

[PaulM]

Commuters in Dublin have been warned to expect disruption this afternoon as a result of unofficial strike action by a number of DART drivers.

Iarnród Éireann said the action would cause disruption to some DART services, but the vast majority should still be operating as normal.

The unofficial action has been mounted by a number of drivers as part of a dispute over rostering.


Bless them they have to work to a roster.

[Mark]

Fair play that DART issued a PR on their site about this aswell.

[Mark Gleeson]

Can confirm train cancellations this morning roughly as follows

09:02 Malahide Greystones (assumed as 10:35 cancelled)
10:35 Greystones Malahide (confirmed)
12:00 Malahide Bray (return of 10:35)

Excuse was operational difficulty, no details of cancelled trains on IE website

There has been no timetable changes so I can't see what is causing this

Mod note moved to Dublin customer issues

[Mark Gleeson]

eneral News
Unofficial action affecting small number of DART services by Press Office


Iarnród Éireann has advised DART customers that due to unofficial industrial action by some DART drivers, some DART services this afternoon and evening face cancellation. However, the vast majority of DART services are continuing to operate.

The unofficial action arises from a disagreement between two groups of DART drivers on a rostering issue, and involves 21 DART drivers from NBRU and SIPTU.

Iarnród Éireann urges our drivers and trade unions to resolve this issue through an arbitration meeting scheduled for this Thursday, and not to cause unnecessary disruption to DART customers.

Iarnród Éireann apologises to customers for any inconvenience caused. Full details of service cancellations will be issued as soon as available. Whereas most services will operate, we would ask for customers patience, particularly during this evening’s peak.
http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=43

Note no details of which trains cancelled yet despite the fact I can list 3 already it doesn't take long to work out which links are missing drivers

Its looking like the usual NBRU Vs SIPTU turf war again

[Mark Gleeson]

A serious question mark hangs over these 5 services

16:29 Connolly Dun Laoghaire
17:10 Connolly Bray
17:02 Dun Laoghaire Howth
17:35 Connolly Bray
18:00 Howth Bray

[ACustomer]

These are the same bunch of prats who wanted extra money to drive 8-car trains. What trivial reason do they have for taking action this time? I think the public and P11 should let them know in no uncertain terms that they are not willing to pay taxes to keep such people in highly-paid jobs.

[Mark Gleeson]

I'm first in the queue to order the equipment to fill the empty rack in the electrical cabinet with the driverless equipment

Last time round this was issued at 10pm in expectation of choas (I was sitting on a platform delayed by 20 minutes due to a cancellation at the time) http://www.platform11.org/media/printer_friendly_pr.php?year=2005&no=pr_041.html

Despite it not going ahead there where some cancellations

[PaulM]

Even if not driver-less the union contract should be redrawn to add a no strike clause. It is a disgrace that they strike over such trivial matters. How you would change the contract without causing a strike is the problem.

I think driver-less is the way to go.

[Mark Gleeson]

There exists a clause in the "New Deal" which provides a pay bonus for industrial relations stability over a certain period, i.e the no strike clause

Connex have had there day of Luas flu despite a no strike clause.

IE have yet to provide a list of cancellations

[Mark Gleeson]

IE have still not yet provided a list of cancellations

IE now quoting 75% of all services operating, thats roughly 2 trains per hour in each direction during the evening rush cancelled

The station displays are saying, "A limited DART service is operating"

The following are cancelled
16:40 Howth Bray
17:10 Connolly Bray
17:35 Connolly Bray
17:25 Howth Bray

[Kevin K Kelehan]

What part of industrial peace do SIPTU not understand? They have quite happily accepted increase after increase and yet are unwilling to play by the rules. :mad:

[James Shields]

Was out on the DART this afternoon, and there seemed to be quite a few cancelled services. The information boards seem to have difficulty with the concept of a cancelled train, with a number of trains showing they were a non-changing time away until they disappeared and an announcement stated they had been cancelled for "operational reasons".

[Mark Gleeson]

Between 5pm and 6pm last night a total of 4 southbound services where cancelled there should be 8 trains in that period, needless to say it was rather packed going home

Northbound wasn't too bad but it was painfully full on the 17:15 Bray Malahide (Pearse 17:55) it of course was a 6 coach train when it normally is a 8 coach which made matters worse

So this is what the status was according to IE in Pearse southbound at 17:34
58

The trains marked as due 7 minutes and 20 minutes where cancelled yet IE continued to show them as running the passenger hasn't a hope when IE provide false information

[James Shields]

I can't help wondering if IE management were playing a game of tit-for-tat with the unions, at the customers expense.

The information boards seemed to count down trains that were cancelled until just minutes before they were due to arrive. Surely someone must have known they had never left Howth? Was the information system just going through the motions in the hopes that a train would miracously appear somewhere along the way? It looks like the managers were childishly refusing to intervene and passengers were left with no helpful information.

I also think that the stock could have been better managed. With the reduced number of trains, there should have been more stock available to run 8-car sets, but there doesn't seem to have been any effort to make sure that as many trtains as possible were 8 cars. I saw several running as 4-cars between 4pm and 6pm.