Pay increases due to workers in the three CIÉ companies are to be delayed for a month because of Friday's "no fares day" protest by unions.
Management representatives of Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus told union leaders yesterday that staff would receive their full weekly payments today, in spite of Friday's action.
But they said payment of the three per cent increase due on October 1st under the current partnership agreement, Sustaining Progress, would be withheld until November 1st. This would save the companies about €300,000 a week for four weeks, enabling them to recoup the €1.2 million in potential revenue lost on Friday.
All staff in the three companies would be affected, not just those directly involved in Friday's action. Unions are to contest the move, however, and the matter is now expected to be referred to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).
The unions also plan to continue their campaign against plans by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, to dismantle CIÉ and open 25 per cent of the Dublin bus market to competition by private operators by early next year. Friday's action, which provided a day of free public transport, was the first action of a campaign due to continue for the remainder of the year and, in the absence of agreement, into next year when Ireland assumes the EU presidency.
Yesterday's meeting, at which the companies conveyed to unions their decision to delay the October pay rise, lasted just 15 minutes. It is understood some union representatives warned that the move had the potential to bring unions into direct conflict with the companies, whereas up to now their dispute had been solely with Mr Brennan.
Despite the three companies' hardline stance, however, the unions have no immediate plans to escalate the dispute.
Mr Liam Tobin, general secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union, said the campaign against Mr Brennan's plans would continue as outlined. The next action, on Tuesday, August 19th, is to involve a half-day stoppage and national demonstrations by union members.
Mr Tobin said these would take place in every city in the Republic and "we would hope they will be on a scale never seen before". The decision to delay the first increase due under Sustaining Progress was not acceptable to the unions, he said. "We made our objections clear at the meeting and said we would not accept any interference with our members' wages. All our members were at work on Friday and only a small percentage had anything to do with money or fares." The unions were "very confident" that their position would be vindicated at the LRC, he said.
After the August protest, there will be one-day stoppages on September 16th, October 14th and November 18th. A two-day strike is planned for Monday and Tuesday, December 8th and 9th.
