Iarnrod Eireann's track maintenance and inspection crews have voted by two to one to accept the latest proposals to settle their long-running pay dispute.
These provide for cumulative pay increases worth more than 45 per cent between now and November 2001, which will be paid on top of the 15.75 per cent provided for in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
Many of the 800 permanent way operatives were involved in the unofficial strike that caused widespread disruption last April. A full-scale official strike was only narrowly averted last month, when the current deal was hammered out.
The threat of compulsory nightwork has been withdrawn and two additional pay increases worth 4.5 per cent have been added to the package rejected last April. While the increases are high, they are based on a low basic pay scale of £210 to £227 a week. Operatives had to work substantial overtime to earn between £15,000 and £20,000 a year.
As in the company's agreement with mainline train drivers, the policy has been to consolidate overtime and shift payments in a high basic wage in return for productivity.
The company's human resources manager, Mr John Keenan, said this was the first productivity agreement with permanent way operatives since 1977. "It will assist greatly in the delivery of the £430 million investment programme for the company."