Hopes of averting an Iarnród Éireann strike planned for this Friday receded on Monday after unions accused the company of trying to undermine their position with workers.

A three-hour stoppage, the second in two weeks, is planned from 6am-9am on Friday by drivers who are members of Siptu and the NBRU. The dispute centres on payment for past productivity measures by drivers.

Talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to avert the last strike on Friday October 23rd, and the action this Friday, broke down on October 22nd.

Iarnród Éireann chief executive David Franks on Monday wrote directly to drivers saying he was "disappointed" the unions would not put the company's proposals to a ballot of workers.

The company’s proposals, outlined in the letter to drivers, include an increase in earnings through “productivity allowances” of 7.9-8.3 per cent and a voluntary redundancy scheme.

“The demands for an even greater share of the productivity savings and a reduction in the working week as tabled by the unions is unaffordable. This is not a negotiating tactic. It is a fact,” Mr Franks’s letter said.

“We do not think it is appropriate to create false expectations and have been consistently clear that we must generate verifiable cost savings to fund any improvement in earnings.”

NBRU general secretary Dermot O’Leary said the attempt to undermine the unions in their representation of workers was counterproductive.

“Our members are furious at this intervention and see it as an insult to a workforce that have fully co-operated in improving the rail network in this country over the last decade. The only reasonable way of getting a resolution here is for all stakeholders to fully engage on all of the issues, attempting to disenfranchise workers’ representatives is bringing a distasteful element to this dispute.”

‘Completely dismissed’

Siptu representative Paul Cullen said the management had "completely dismissed" the unions' proposals and so there was nothing on which to ballot workers. "At this point in time I cannot see anything that could prevent Friday going ahead."

Speaking after Iarnród Éireann's Best Station Awards on Monday, Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe said the company's proposal was "very reasonable" and "very, very sensible".

He said he would “actively support” the work of the commission this week to resolve the dispute.

“Across the coming days now the Workplace Relations Commission will make a decision as to whether any further intervention can have an effect, and I will continue to support the work of that body in resolving this dispute.”

If Friday’s strike did go ahead it would cause “even more damage” to Iarnród Éireann.

“It is going to cause more damage to commuters and it will really affect the prospects of everyone who is working within the company because of the amount of revenue that again will be lost due to the strike going ahead.”

About 40,000 passengers had their travel plans disrupted on October 23rd by the three-hour strike.

The exact cost of the stoppage is not yet known as the National Transport Authority has not finalised calculations on how much of its €117 million exchequer subvention the rail company should forfeit for not operating its full schedule of services.