THE risk of a national transport strike this week increased after CIE train drivers met in Dublin yesterday. The drivers say they will press ahead - without union sanction if necessary - with a one day stoppage on Friday unless the company promises by Wednesday to pay a 2.5 per cent pay rise.
The pay rise was due to train drivers and other manual workers in CIE under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work from October 1st, but the company announced last month that it would not pay the 2.5 per cent until March 31st, 1997, and then only if the unions accepted a £44 million cost cutting plan.
The train drivers said yesterday they require "a commitment from the company to pay the 2.5 per cent due under the PCW. This payment will not be tied to any other agreement which may, or may not, be agreed in the future.
"In the event of that commitment not being forthcoming by Wednesday, Irish Rail services will be disrupted on Friday, whether there is union sanction or not."
The meeting was called by a cross union group of train drivers who are not part of the official union structures in CIE. However, they claim it was representative of the majority of drivers.
The Labour Court heard the CIE unions' case for payment of the 2.5 per cent increase last Friday: it then asked them to defer strike action until it had issued a recommendation.
The National Bus and Rail Workers' Union is expected to agree to the deferment later today. Last night its general secretary, Mr Peter Bunting, said he expected members to abide by whatever decision was reached today.
It is thought craft unions at CIE will agree to defer action.
But CIE's biggest union, SIPTU, said it might not reach a decision over the deferment until Wednesday morning, shortly before the CIE group of unions is due to meet.
The SIPTU rail branch secretary, Mr Tony Tobin, who is also chairman of the group of unions, said SIPTU had served strike notice for Friday. He said the situation was "very delicate" and it would be "extremely difficult" to get agreement to a deferment.