With Luas workers scheduled to stage another work stoppage on St Patrick's Day, talks will get underway on Monday aimed at resolving a potential separate dispute on Dublin's Dart service.
Unions representing Dart drivers have warned of strike action if Iarnród Éireann moves ahead with plans to introduce a higher frequency service from early next month without their agreement.
The introduction of the new Dart service is one of Iarnród Éireann’s key goals for 2016.
Staff have raised a number of concerns over the plan, including proposed rosters and the number of drivers required to operate the higher frequency service.
Meanwhile, there may be a new attempt to convene talks aimed at preventing the planned Luas strike over pay and conditions on St Patrick’s Day.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said on Sunday that every effort would be made before Thursday to encourage further talks between Luas drivers and management in a bid to avert the planned stoppage.
Replacement buses
Earlier on Sunday, Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe described the controversial move by Luas operator Transdev to bring in private buses for passengers during the scheduled St Patrick's Day strike as "an exceptional fall-back measure for the country's national holiday".
Mr Donohoe said it was imperative that steps be taken to ensure that Transdev’s planned back-up bus service was not needed and that people would be able to travel on the Luas system on Thursday.
Speaking on The Week in Politics on RTÉ One on Sunday, Mr Donohoe said that three of the four grades of staff at Luas were still engaged in talks with management at the Workplace Relations Commission.
These talks are scheduled to resume on Monday.
Talks between Transdev and Luas drivers at the Workplace Relations Commission collapsed last week.
Luas drivers said that they have been excluded from the talks by management, despite reducing the scale of their pay demands.
The drivers are seeking pay rises of close to 30 per cent over five years. They have also offered to discuss productivity measures with management.
Luas operator Transdev said the reduced pay claim by drivers was still excessive and did not form the basis of negotiations.
It has previously maintained that it would look at pay increases of one to three per cent linked to productivity measures.
Protests
Groups supporting the Luas workers are planning protests against Transdev’s replacement buses on St Patrick’s Day.
The Anti-Austerity Alliance said on Sunday it would be joining the protests, while members of the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) are also expected to take part.
Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy said on Sunday that members of his organisation would not attempt to stop the use of "strike breaking" buses on their own but would support the tactics of drivers.
Mr Murphy said workers had a right to receive their share of the recovery in the form of pay rises and had a right to engage in industrial action without strike breaking by management.
Siptu, which represents the Luas drivers, said Transdev’s plan was “provocative”.
However, it said pickets against the buses would be peaceful and operate within the law.
The NBRU, which represents staff in the CIÉ transport group, described the move to bring in a contingency bus service on St Patrick’s Day as “strike breaking” and accused Transdev of using “scab labour”.
The company has denied that it is engaged in strike breaking.
Transdev's managing director Gerry Madden said the initiative represented a "logistical solution to give people a good day out".
Luas drivers are also scheduled to strike over the Easter weekend and on four days in April.
