HOPES of a settlement to the 11 week strike at the Royal Dublin Hotel rose yesterday after exploratory talks opened between management and SIPTU. The striking workers had been expected to reject a return to work formula devised by the Labour Court at a secret ballot today, but this has been deferred to allow the talks to continue.
Contacts between SIPTU and management emerged late on Wednesday night, when it became clear that the return to work formula provided an inadequate basis to end the strike. They developed into more formal exploratory talks yesterday and are expected to continue over the weekend.
SIPTU branch president, Mr Ron McGarrell, said he would "welcome any development that might bring the strike to an end. Our members have been out 11 weeks and they are anxious for a settlement. However, they are not prepared to accept just any settlement."
The strikers were deeply disappointed with the Labour Court recommendation, although its terms would have seen a 10 per cent increase in the hotel's payroll this year. It did not concede a number of their central claims, including an across the board increase in pay worth up to £3.50 an hour for some strikers and reinstatement of a number of employees dismissed during the dispute.
Only 30 of the 127 staff are on strike. However they have an all out picket from the ICTU and, as a result, their action has caused problems for the hotel in maintaining services.
Management has accused SIPTU of breaching the industrial peace clause of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work.