Naas picket now likely

A showdown between the Irish Horseracing Authority and SIPTU is looking increasingly likely at Naas on Saturday following the breakdown of talks over five Tote workers yesterday.

An official picket is being planned for Saturday's meeting, which stages the opening of the IHA's new Autotote system.

Talks were held yesterday over the futures of three permanent Tote staff and two semi-permanent staff were held at Leopardstown yesterday but proved fruitless.

"The IHA want our members to resign and then come back on a casual basis at 210 race meetings a year. We put it to them that to cope with that extra workload they should pay our members an extra £1,500 a year but they wouldn't have that. The IHA seem to want an entire industry to grind to a half over £7,500," a SIPTU spokesman said yesterday.

Mary Fitzgerald, of the IHA, confirmed the talks had broken down and commented: "SIPTU have reaffirmed their intention to go ahead with industrial action and rejected all packages offered to them. However, we are still available for discussions."

If pickets are placed on Saturday, it could mean problems for the new Autotote system as the SIPTU spokesman confirmed that the union have received a guarantee that the part-time Tote staff will not pass the picket. "We have also been given an assurance by the catering staff, we are waiting on confirmation from the bookmakers' staff, some Turf Club staff and possibly some of Autotote's unionised staff," he added.

However, the IHA's Mary Fitzgerald said: "If all comes to all, we can give a limited service."