O'Rourke says nothing she can do about rail dispute

Rail passengers face further disruption tomorrow after no resolution to the train driver’s dispute was reached today and the Minister for Public Enterprise claimed there was nothing she could do.

Rail passengers face more disruption

The train drivers' union this afternoon agreed to a meeting chaired by ICTU general secretary Mr Peter Cassells on Thursday but downplayed this as a means of resolving the dispute.

More than 100,000 passengers were inconvenienced today after pickets were placed at stations in Dundalk, Drogheda, Connolly Station and Fairview.

A spokesman for the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers’ Union (ATGWU) said the strike could only be resolved if the Labour Court or the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) brought together all sides for talks.

The ATGWU is conducting the dispute on behalf of over 100 members of the amalgamated Irish Locomotive Drivers’ Association.

An Iarnród Éireann spokesman said since no talks are planned with the ATGWU today, tomorrow’s strike action was expected to go ahead. He repeated the company’s assertion that the dispute is an inter-union problem.

SIPTU national industrial secretary Mr Noel Dowling criticised today’s action adding the issue was one of union recognition. Describing the representation issue as a "smokescreen", Mr Dowling said "this dispute is about extending [ATGWU Irish secretary Mick O’Reilly’s] remit".

Mr Dowling said the innate reluctance of his members to pass picket lines was being "played on" by the ATGWU.

SIPTU and the NBRU said the majority of their members were not passing the picket lines and were unlikely to do so in coming days.

Ms Mary O’Rourke described today’s action as "absolutely unnecessary". She said the dispute was an inter-union issue and added there was nothing she personally, or the Government, could do while it remained an inter-union dispute.

She told RTÉ's Morning Irelandprogramme: "SIPTU and NBRU have said quite clearly to ICTU and it has been passed on to us, that if Iarnród Éireann enters into it, or the Labour Court or the Labour Relations Commission, that they in turn will pull all of their members all over the country because they view it as an inter-union dispute."

This would lead to an all-out national strike which would be an impossible situation, she said.

Iarnród Éireann's customer information line (1850 366 222) is open until 9 p.m. today while information is also available on the company's website, www.irishrail.ie.