Train-drivers are expected to escalate their unofficial dispute in the run-up to the weekend. Disruption is likely either tomorrow or Friday, following a "review" by the Irish Locomotive Drivers' Association in Dublin yesterday.
The dispute, now in its third month, has had a considerable effect on regional and inter-city train services and is estimated to have cost Iarnrod Eireann over £10 million. The rail company's management and SIPTU and the NBRU, the recognised unions representing working train-drivers, insist the dispute is about union recognition.
ILDA denies this and insists it is about the safety of the "new deal", an agreement between drivers and management which came into operation in June.
The association's executive secretary, Mr Brendan Ogle, said yesterday ILDA would not `sit idly by and allow Irish Rail to lock our members out of work and close down one-third of its business".
He claimed that Irish Rail's plans to reschedule its services based on the number of drivers who are working was a "lockout", even though the company has continued to appeal to ILDA drivers to return to work.
Irish Rail renewed its appeal to drivers yesterday to "take the opportunity provided by the joint initiative, the only workable initiative to have emerged during this unofficial action, to return to work, restore services to our customers and share in the benefits of the new deal being enjoyed by over two-thirds of drivers at present. All interested parties can send submissions to the Labour Court/LRC joint examination."
The court and commission, investigating claims and counterclaims in the dispute, are not expected to issue a report for three months.
Four ILDA drivers returned to work this week in Drogheda and Limerick, bringing to about 30 the number who have gone back since the dispute started 68 days ago.
Iarnrod Eireann said a full service would operate today on the Galway, Belfast, Rosslare and Sligo routes, with reduced service on other inter-city routes. Intending passengers are advised to ring the information line at 1850 366222.
Mr Ogle said after yesterday's meeting it was his "expectation" that the dispute would escalate tomorrow or Friday.
Asked if ILDA was threatening further escalation, Mr Ogle said this was the 10th week of a dispute that at worst had one day and three hours of secondary picketing. "By any standards they have been remarkably restrained and disciplined," he said.
Any dispute which inconvenienced the public would not be popular. "Workers sticking up for their rights aren't popular. I live in a working-class estate, I drink in working-class pubs and I shop in working-class supermarkets and I haven't received any backlash from the travelling public," he said.
There was a "very real difference" between media reporting of the dispute and public reaction. ILDA was sensitive to the disruption for the public, but he was hopeful the disruption would achieve "a situation where our genuine concerns about safety can be addressed".
ILDA had employed a rail safety consultant, Mr P.G. Rayner, who had expressed concern about the validation carried out by rail safety experts Halcrow Rail for Iarnrod Eireann.
However, Iarnrod Eireann said Mr Rayner had not contacted either the company or Halcrow Rail to seek clarification. It claimed he had relied on summary documents and had not said the deal was unsafe, but had asked questions about the "methodology of validation and timing of the implementation".
