Iarnrod Eireann expects further widespread disruption to services today as a result of its dispute with the Irish Locomotive Drivers' Association. According to the company "a handful of ILDA drivers" worked the new rosters and it is hoping that more will do so today. It says that several ILDA drivers due on duty reported sick.
"We are being as non-confrontational as possible in the hope that people will move back to their recognised trade unions," the company's human resources manager, Mr John Keenan, said last night.
"Were we to negotiate with ILDA it would be a signal to further fragment the negotiating process in Iarnrod Eireann."
The company is also concerned that recognition of ILDA could spark off a dispute with the existing drivers' unions, which still represent 212 of the 342 mainline drivers. ILDA now has 130.
"If the ILDA is right, then not alone is Iarnrod Eireann wrong but SIPTU and the National Bus and Railworkers' Union which negotiated the agreement on behalf of the majority of drivers are wrong, the Labour Relations Commission is wrong, the Labour Court is wrong and the High Court is wrong," he said. "Everybody is out of step except the ILDA."
The executive secretary of the ILDA, Mr Brendan Ogle, repeated his call for talks yesterday, but refused to discuss the situation with The Irish Times because of what he described as its "negative" coverage of the dispute. It is understood that the ILDA position remains one of being available for negotiations on changes in working conditions while members continue to work the old rosters.
Its biggest objections to the new agreement are over Sunday working and safety. It does not accept the safety validation of the new working rosters by independent consultants Halcrow Rail and is having their findings assessed by its own technical adviser.
There are still no signs of intervention by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, or the Labour Relations Commission.
Informed sources said there are no plans for any third party intervention. A consensus now seems to exist that opening talks with the ILDA would be to grant it implicit recognition and create a precedent for other small groups within the company to form unions.
Yesterday Iarnrod Eireann used buses to supplement services.
Many passengers travelling between Athlone and Galway, Athlone and Westport, and between Mallow and Cork, used buses. However, several hundred would-be travellers were stranded in the midlands at Portlaoise and Tullamore because of a lack of alternative transport.
Munster was worst hit by the disruption and peak travel on some Dublin suburban routes was badly affected, except for the DART. If the strike drags on the level of disruption is expected to decrease as members of the travelling public make alternative arrangements and more ILDA members decide to accept the new rosters.
The company is not expected to take disciplinary action against drivers at this stage. Those refusing to operate the new rosters are simply being told to report for work again the next day.