[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by RTE News Online

Train drivers resume normal working

17 May 2006 08:22
Train drivers who have been on unofficial strike since Monday morning are to resume normal working later today.

However, passengers will face continuing disruption for some time today before the normal schedule is restored.
A number of early morning trains from the west will not operate this morning, but an Iarnród Éireann spokesman said the schedule should be back to normal by mid-morning.

After a meeting between the unions and mediator Phil Flynn, Iarnród Éireann was given an absolute commitment without conditions that the new Mark 4 trains will be in operation no later than Monday, 22 May.
Later this morning, representatives of the train drivers' unions will meet Iarnród Éireann management to discuss the issues which triggered the strike.

It was shortly after 1am this morning when the breakthrough came.

After over 14 hours of negotiations, trade union officials from SIPTU and the NBRU announced that their members would return to work today.

However, SIPTU National Industrial Secretary Michael Halpenny stressed that drivers will not be operating the Mark 4 rolling stock this morning when work resumes.

Iarnród Éireann's Director of Human Resources, John Keenan, said that after this morning's meeting a definitive statement on the introduction of the Mark 4 trains will be issued.

Thousands of passengers have been inconvenienced by the strike.

© RTE 2006
http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0517/rail.html