Further Luas strikes for March look likely

Luas staff representatives will meet early next week to decide on future strategy for their campaign of industrial action but further strikes look likely to be scheduled for March.

A two-day stoppage is already pencilled in for next Thursday and Friday which is expected to disrupt the travel plans of up to 90,000 people each day.

The dispute centres on claims by Luas staff for improved terms and conditions including pay increases of up to 53 per cent in some cases.

Luas staff representatives and officials of the trade union Siptu met on Friday to review the strike action which took place over the last two days.

It is understood that part of this meeting did consider further industrial action and this will be looked at again in the early part of next week.

Informed sources said it was likely that Siptu would serve notice of further strike action on Luas operator Transdev at some stage next week.

Under an agreement with the company, the union will have to give 21 days notice of any stoppage.

It is likely that any further strikes would take place at some stage after the first week in March.

Transdev has maintained that the scale of the pay demands put forward by staff are excessive.

It said if the level of the pay claim was moderated it would respond. It was said it was eager to find a resolution.

Siptu has argued that staff were left with no alternative but to take strike action. It said staff were prepared for a long and protracted dispute.

It maintained that staff working on the Dublin light rail system had received only one pay increase in the last six years and that the company was only suggesting rises linked to the conumer price index for the years ahead which was virtually zero at present.

The Government has called on both sides to go back to either the Workplace Relations Commission or the Labour Court to seek to find a settlement.

However at this stage there appeared to be no sign of any third party intervention in the dispute.