DART drivers are to meet next week to review progress in talks on a "new deal" agreement similar to that made for mainline drivers last February. A major stumbling block in the dispute is that DART drivers want to retain a £70-a-week differential they enjoy over mainline drivers.
The company wants a standalone agreement that will not lead to knock-on claims from other Iarnrod Eireann employees. While there is no danger of the dispute disrupting services at this stage, it means extension of the DART to Malahide and the introduction of a full service to Greystones are deferred indefinitely.
Yesterday Greystones councillor Mr Derek Mitchell said industrial disputes had delayed extension of the DART by 13 months so far. "Are CIE capable of running a DART service and persuading DART drivers to drive DARTs?" he asked.
"It has taken longer to complete this small extension than to install the original DART system in the early 1980s. I think it is disgraceful that such well-paid workers are leaving so many workers and students standing."
Meanwhile, the company is not expected to issue letters of warning to mainline drivers refusing to work rest days before next week. The executive secretary of the Irish Locomotive Drivers' Association, Mr Brendan Ogle, said any such move would lead to a request that the Labour Court and Labour Relations Commission intervene in the dispute.
SIPTU regional secretary Mr Noel Dowling accused the ILDA of engaging in "pointless guerrilla warfare. The ILDA were asked to return to work under the new conditions of employment. These require rest-day working and what the ILDA are into now is semantics."
Because of the dispute Iarnrod Eireann is unable to supply a train for a fund-raising event next week, even though it was booked in May. The Castlebar Tennis Club booked the train for a trip to the Curragh races on September 16th.
On September 4th the club received a letter saying the company was not in a position to provide a train. Mr Tom Murphy for the tennis club said Iarnrod Eireann management should be sacked. "This would not be tolerated in the private sector."
A spokesman for Irish Rail said the organisers were told verbally in mid-August that a problem might arise because of the action by ILDA drivers.