Unions accused of urging staff not to train new rail drivers

Iarnród Éireann has accused trade unions of urging staff to withhold co-operation on the training of new drivers. Management at the train operator has said this must be addressed as it is damaging its financial position.

The State-owned train operator said nine trainees in its Dart rail system were being prevented from completing training. It said this was affecting the company’s ability to respond to the needs of customers in the future.

The company's comments were made in a statement issued on Wednesday after the first day of talks at the Workplace Relations Commission aimed at resolving a number of long-running issues . These also included payment for past productivity and a reduction in the working hours of drivers.

Trade unions, Siptu and the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) maintained the company was seeking to set pre-conditions for the talks and to cherry pick from the agenda. Unions accused the rail operator of making a U-turn on a previous commitment to engage on all issues set out in a recent Labour Court report on productivity and working hours.

Industrial action

NBRU general secretary Dermot O’Leary said on Wednesday that if progress was not made at the talks, his union would immediately ballot members for industrial action.

Iarnród Éireann said the action by trade unions was preventing it from growing its business and its revenue, “which ultimately damages our finances, restricting our ability to address employee aspirations for improved earnings, the subject of a separate claim”.

“While the [Labour Court] report being discussed concluded that much of what was claimed as past productivity either did not constitute productivity or had already been addressed by previous agreements, the Labour Court recommendation did provide for the outcomes to be reviewed at the Workplace Relations Commission and the report itself states that further study is required in some areas including comparative conditions for any conclusions to be drawn.”

“These are crucial areas on which we wish to engage, but continuing frustration of training is unsustainable if we are to progress issues of concern to our drivers. Talks will reconvene tomorrow morning at the Workplace Relations Commission and we hope that trade unions will engage on this key issue.”

In a joint statement Siptu and the NBRU said: “As recently as July 15th the company committed to engaging on all issues contained in the independent report, which it should be remembered emanated from a Labour Court recommendation following industrial action last autumn. Iarnród Éireann has now decided to set its face against the pre-eminent industrial relations institution of the State by thumbing its nose at the recommended course of action to engage on all of the disputed issues, inclusive of past productivity, reduction of the working week and improvements to terms and conditions.”

“Both unions today agreed at the Workplace Relations Commission to also discuss the issue of driver training as part of the agenda set by the Labour Court- commissioned report with the understanding, similar and consistent with industrial relations norms, that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

“We will as a matter of course return to the Workplace Relations Commission tomorrow morning in the hope that the company will engage on the comprehensive agenda set out in the report. Failure to so do will result in an immediate ballot of our members for industrial action.”