Luas dispute may progress to all-out strike as Siptu look to ballot staff

Transdev, which operates Dublin’s Luas trams, has accused Siptu of seeking a chequebook solution to the dispute at the light rail system.

On Tuesday, all Luas staff were served with protective notice, with immediate effect, by Transdev.

In response, Siptu, which represents workers at the company, said it was now looking at a ballot for an all-out strike, which would bring the light rail service to a halt indefinitely.

A further eight strikes by staff are scheduled to take place at the company before the end of May, as part of a campaign by workers for improved terms and conditions.

Siptu organiser Owen Reidy said that Transdev would not have issued Luas staff with protective notice without getting “the nod” from stakeholders, including Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe.

Transdev managing director Gerry Madden said that Siptu were offering nothing by way of a solution. "They just want someone to take out the chequebook – they don't care who," Mr Madden said yesterday on Newstalk's Pat Kenny Show.

Threatening

He denied Transdev was threatening staff. “The dispute is very disruptive, they have to know there are always consequences to actions.”

Mr Madden said that Transdev operates in more than 20 countries, and they did research but could not find a tram driver anywhere else getting close to the pay and conditions [offered] in Dublin. “The Luas is a success story, it’s been here 12 years, in that time only two per cent of staff have left.”

Mr Reidy said yesterday he was surprised by the “deafening silence” of the stakeholders, including Mr Donohoe.

"The Minister criticised our members at Easter over what was a legal dispute, but there is no criticism now about an employer with a State contract, getting taxpayers' money, that is effectively locking out workers and has shut off talks," he said on RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

David Begg, former general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu), said the government being formed should focus on stabilising the current industrial relations climate. “Nothing will undermine a government more than having chaos at the industrial relations front in the country,” he added.

Discussing the dispute, Mr Begg said all things were ultimately resolvable. “The trick is not letting everybody get so dug in that relations are destroyed, or trust gone. There can be a lot of collateral damage.”

Transdev is to refund weekly, monthly and annual ticket holders who have lost out due to strike days.

Transdev said it would make refunds available as future credit for travel on the trams, or by cheque, if customers chose to have their money refunded.

Replacing pre-paid Luas journeys with bus or rail trips can cost up to about €10 per round trip. Ten days have already been lost to holders of pre-paid tickets – at a potential cost of about €100 to such passengers.

A Transdev spokeswoman said customers could use their identification number on their travel cards to claim a refund online. Alternatively, they could call the operator’s customer care team and have the refund processed.

The spokeswoman said the operator was not in a position to immediately address the tax implications of refunds on annual tax-rebated tickets.

Strike action is planned for the following dates: Saturday, April 23rd; Sunday, April 24th; Thursday, April 28th; Wednesday, May 4th; Friday, May 13th; Friday, May 20th; Thursday, May 26th (work stoppage 3pm-7pm); and Friday, May 27th.