TALKS ARE to take place today between trade unions and management at Iarnród Éireann under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) in an attempt to resolve the unofficial dispute involving train drivers in Cork, writes MARTIN WALL, Industry Correspondent.
The LRC intervened in the dispute yesterday after the dispute, which had appeared on the brink of a resolution on Sunday, flared up again.
Nearly 20 services on the Dublin to Cork and Dublin to Kerry routes were cancelled yesterday as were all commuter services on the Cork to Cobh and Cork to Mallow lines.
Talks between management and Siptu and the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) will take place in Cork today.
However, Iarnród Éireann said last night that it expected the current disruption to services on the Dublin to Cork and Dublin to Kerry routes as well as to commuter services in the south and southwest to continue today.
The LRC has invited the parties to "exploratory talks to see if they could advance the situation with regard to unofficial actions at the company against the backdrop of the current situation in Cork".
Iarnród Éireann said it hoped the LRC intervention could lead to a speedy resolution, while Siptu branch organiser Jackie Pearson said he hoped the LRC "will be able to find a way out of the impasse that has developed around the basis on which train drivers will return to work".
On Sunday the drivers said they would go back to work and operate in accordance with current agreements, including flexible working arrangements.
However, yesterday morning the company asked the drivers on their return to work to sign undertakings that they would operate the flexible working arrangements and not take part in unofficial action. The drivers refused to provide the undertakings.
Earlier yesterday Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey called on both sides to "get together" to resolve the dispute and added: "Wildcat strikes are unacceptable. It's the kind of thing that gives public sector workers a bad name," he said.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen said: "Obviously I think it's very important that we do not have unofficial action in any part of our industrial relations procedure.
"By definition, it's not part of what's contemplated and I would hope that the travelling customers are put at the top of everybody's priorities at this stage.
"There has been sufficient inconvenience caused by this over the weekend."