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Irish rail staff back strike action

IRISH Rail employees with general union Siptu voted today in favour of industrial action over changes to their employment conditions.

Union members had already voted 51 per cent to 49 per cent against Labour Court recommendations which included pay cuts, redundancies and restructuring at the company. 

And in a ballot yesterday, members voted by 66 per cent to 34 per cent in favour of industrial action short of a strike.

Siptu organiser Paul Cullen said that industrial action would only happen if management changed terms of employment without agreement.

“It is clear to us that members are prepared if necessary to protect their conditions of employment,” he said.

“However, we are also of the view that that we should all try to avoid a damaging dispute which has the potential to disrupt the travelling public.”

Union representatives from Siptu, Unite and transport unions NBRU and TSSA met senior management at Irish Rail earlier in the afternoon and warned that “this is a time for calm reflection and cool heads.”

“We also suggested the parties should consider a process that was successfully used in resolving the Dublin Bus restructuring whereby two independent facilitators assisted management and unions in resolving their issues,” Mr Cullen said.

Irish Rail said after the meeting that it would contact the trade unions soon to advise of its proposed course of action.

But it insisted that the changes were being proposed in the context of “ongoing financial crisis facing the company and the urgent need to secure payroll savings.”

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