The Taoiseach has said that the Government will have to "get a handle on what is going on with the industrial relations" at CIÉ. Bertie Ahern told RTÉ News that the disputes over the past number of months at Iarnród Éireann had caused great difficulty. He said that it was not acceptable that these things were continuously happening, and that the public was losing out.
Rail services in the South and the West have been worst affected by industrial action. The Irish Locomotive Drivers' Association are refusing to co-operate with Iarnród Éireann on a new agreement covering pay and work practices. Only nine of the scheduled 24 trains between Cork, Limerick and Dublin have been operating, while services to and from Tralee have been halved. There has also disruption on the Galway, Westport and Waterford services. The Sligo, Rosslare and Belfast trains, the DART and Maynooth are running normally.
The Executive Secretary of the Train Drivers' Association has claimed his members have been locked out at Athlone railway station. Brendan Ogle said that nine train drivers, based in Athlone, were refused the right to sign in for work this morning. Mr Ogle said that his association members are prepared to return to work and open negotiations with Iarnród Éireann management as soon as their right to have a say on pay and conditions is recognised by the company.
The dispute has forced thousands of train passengers to make alternative arrangements. The decision to take industrial action was made at an extraordinary general meeting of the ILDA in Dublin yesterday. Further details of the services affected are available on a telephone information line. The number is 1850-366-222.
