Iarnród Éireann finally respond (not worth reading)

[Mark Gleeson]

Just like the train service 36 hours after the system shutdown the press release finally appears on the IE site, pity its just a rehash of the Friday evening one

New train introduction blocked without justification Tuesday 16th May 2006. by Corporate Communications

New train introduction blocked without justification

Iarnród Éireann had proposed bringing the first of the new €117 million order of Intercity trains into service for in-service trials on the Cork-Dublin route from Monday 15th May.

Drivers had submitted a claim in September 2005 for additional pay and reduced working hours on the basis of a number of issues, namely:
- to agree to operate the new fleet of Intercity trains
- new safety standard provisions covering driver standard monitoring
- new training processes for new drivers, specifically the inclusion of ‘leader driver’ provisions, whereby existing drivers would continue to coach new trainees, but in a more structured manner

This claim was processed through the state’s industrial relations machinery, from October 2005 to January 2006. On 19th January 2006, the Labour Court in Labour Court recommendation 18456 supported the company’s position that payment for the operation of new technology including new fleet had been included in the New Deal for Locomotive Drivers implemented in 2000, and that there were no grounds for additional payment to drivers for driving the new trains.

The Labour Court did recommend that the company and trade unions commence discussions on the remaining separate issues utilising outside expertise.

This process was initiated through an agreed working party, with an independent facilitator to adjudicate on these issues, and has now reached an advanced stage with the facilitator reporting last Monday.

As a result, on Wednesday, the company wrote to drivers union representatives in SIPTU and NBRU stating that Iarnród Éireann was positively disposed to dealing with drivers aspirations in the areas of driver monitoring provisions and ‘leader driver’ roles.

The company accepted there was measurable value to the changes being proposed, and that subject to simultaneously addressing productivity issues, proposed that an agreed, defined and speedy timescale should be put in place to fully address all issues, to address company and driver aspirations, while staying within the provisions of the Sustaining Progress national partnership agreement.

In so doing, Cork-based drivers are attempting to use a matter that the Labour Court has definitively ruled on in January, and use service improvements to customers, as leverage to secure concessions on completely separate issues. This is all the more unacceptable given the company’s commitment to progress these issues substantively.

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/...iew&news_id=99