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MANAGEMENT AT IRISH rail and trade unions will engage in an intensive one-week period of talks next week.
The talks will aim to address the outcome of last weeks ballots which saw the Labour Court recommendations to cut workers pay rejected by SIPTU and the National Bus and Rail Union.
Irish Rail are trying to implement temporary pay cuts for 28 months ranging from 1.7 per cent to 6.1 per cent.
The Chief Executive of Irish Rail David Franks said the company will move to implement Labour Court recommendations should union engagement fail next week.
I believe there is a willingness on all sides to constructively engage and I earnestly hope that this will allow us to progress and address together the other challenges facing our company.
General Secretary of NBRU Dermot O’Leary said “It’s regrettable that the company have decided to impose a pre-condition in advance of suggested discussions by indicating that they would implement the cost retrenchment measures without agreement”.
While the NBRU has never refused to engage in any process which will seek to progress issues, we do not believe that the responsibility for securing the future of Irish Rail lies exclusively with staff
There is nowhere else to turn. The responsibility for securing these savings now falls on ourselves: management and workforce collectively.
“Should next week’s engagement with trade unions fail to achieve progress, the company will then move to implement the Labour Court recommendation”.
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I’m in at either Connolly, Pearse or Heuston at least once a week and I have to say the amount of workers lying about on their arses is ridiculous! I remember I was coming out of Pearse one time and it took four men to inspect my ticket, and two to interrogate me to see if whether I was under 16! Point is I oared for my ticket and I couldn’t have got by without putting my ticket through the electronic gates so what point was there in them being there?! Maybe if these workers were to do something better with their time IrishRail could be put to better use and I could sympathise more with this situation.
not really an argument a company should make a profit and be able to fund its own capital. Irish rail doesnt cover its running costs and has blagged billions off its “customers” over the years for any capital spending. For all we know every ticket should be twice the price to justify the true economic cost of a trip.
A state railroad isn’t something must be profitable, it is something we do collectively because it benefits the people of Ireland. That’s why we build roads, docks, bridges, airports, hospitals.
Then Dee4 Irish Rail should refuse to accept pensioner free travels unless properly reimbursed?
Yes exactly Seamus, spot on, that is the end of the argument as far as I am concerned
The price of tickets aren’t high if you book in advance or are a commuter and use the tax saver tickets. €30 a week for up and down from portlaoise to Dublin is a bargain in my eyes or even €88 for a regular seven day rolling ticket is far cheaper than maintaining a car. As for the tax payer bailing out Irish rail, sure don’t Irish rail staff pay plenty of tax. So their money is also paying towards the upkeep of the network and keeping the free travel pass holders happy.
People really don’t have anything good to say about Irish rail do they. My mother would always say to me if I’ve nothing nice to say don’t say anything at all!!! Irish rail staff from what I can see on a daily basis work very hard. This country
is a joke and all the begrudgers too most don’t even have a clue what their talking about! Makes my blood boil!!
Well said Wendy same mouthpieces day in day out .
I worked in Irish rail for over 27 years. In the 7 years I have retired I have seen nothing but promotion on the side of management. One department had a staff of 33 and 3 managers, this department now has a staff of 2 and 2 managers.
Irish rail has been badly run due to poor management.
Privatise the arse out of it.
Totally agree, it might seem harsh but the tax payer can no longer be forced to keep this money burning machine a float much longer. Privatisation could see some line and station closures but if they continue on their current track they will be seeking mass redundancies within the next 10 years unless they diversify and offload the majority of their high paid/low performing staff. Basically throw out their current business model and bring in something new which is not easy in the transport sector but look at the LUAS.
Yes look at the Luas , going great ! How are they able to make it work ?
I’m speaking from experience here that Irish rail is too over staffed and too top heavy with management I know a relative who while working used to be paid to sit in the van and they all play cards till the end of shift and on other occasion while building the cork Middleton line be put up in hotels with access to the gym and breakfast and meals inc. great job if you can get it
The first thing Irish Rail should do is cut the sh*t………………
population density and spread make rail a poor value option in Ireland. Ireland is a small country if you have decent roads. So unless anyone is planning to bulldoze rural Ireland and move everyone along rail lines then Irish rail will always be a sick puppy sucking at the taxpayer tit.
Well free travel is subsidised by the tax payer sure if that was cut out then it would paint a different picture
Those people like my parents who have worked all their lives and paid taxes for over 50 years are entitled to free travel. It was their taxes that paid for your education so that you could learn to read and write and come on here to tell them that their contribution to society is worth nothing in your “educated” opinion.
Missed my point
Anybody know of a publicly subsidised railway company in the world that makes any kind of significant profit?
Do the government not up the prices of buses and trains??? Emmmmm…………
have your say