Iarnrod Eireann staff are badly paid and deserve more, the company's human resources manager, Mr John Keenan, admitted yesterday.
"Our staff see billions being invested in the State's transport infrastructure, but see no money being invested in them. They want more and I agree with them, but they need to exercise some patience and discipline in pursuing their pay claims."
He was speaking after signalling staff served strike notice for the first of a series of strikes on November 14th, which will close down train services, with the possible exception of the DART between Howth and Bray.
The DART drivers have served separate strike notice, also over pay, from November 20th. The bitter 10-week strike by members of the Irish Locomotive Drivers' Association last summer could also flare up again, this time over the refusal of ILDA members to work rest days.
More than 130 signal personnel are to go on a one-day strike on November 14th, a two-day strike on November 22nd and 23rd and a three-day stoppage from November 29th to December 1st. Fifteen signal staff with the Mini-Central Traffic Control (CTC) system, itself the subject of a major political row over how the contract was awarded, are not involved in the dispute.
However, because the CTC is integrated with the conventional signalling system, it cannot operate independently. Its operatives are also expected to serve strike notice if current pay talks are unsuccessful.
The pay claim for the other 136 signallers has been to the Labour Court, which refused to issue a recommendation because the gap between the sides was too wide. Mr Tony Tobin of SIPTU said the union side was asked to give its bottom line and did so in the Labour Court. "We can't give any more. We've issued strike notice to the company and, as far as we are concerned, it will go ahead," he said.
SIPTU is seeking three new scales for signallers - of £27,800, £26,410 and £25,089 - for working a 48-hour week. The company is offering £25,000, £22,600 and £20,900.
Basic pay for signallers is now £13,000, but most earn around £26,000 by working up to 60 hours a week. The company is expected to invite union representatives back to talks next week.