Luas drivers are to seek a pay rise of about 40 per cent in a claim to go before a hearing of the Labour Court today. Other staff at the company running the Luas will also look for substantial rises.
The Luas drivers, who are represented by the trade union Siptu, are seeking pay parity with train drivers at Iarnród Éireann.
Siptu warned it would ballot members for industrial action if a satisfactory outcome did not emerge from the Labour Court process.
This leaves open the possibility of Luas industrial action at a time when the country is already facing potential strike action by train drivers in Iarnród Éireann in a separate row over productivity payments.
Luas drivers currently have maximum annual earnings of about €42,000, while Iarnród Éireann drivers are on a maximum of about €60,000, albeit for a slightly longer 43½-hour working week.
No resolution
The pay claim by the Luas drivers has already been before an internal industrial relations tribunal without a resolution being found.
If the 170 Luas drivers were to reject a Labour Court recommendation, they would have to ballot on industrial action and then serve 21 days notice on the company before taking action.
As the Labour Court is unlikely to issue a recommendation for a number of weeks, and given the requirements for balloting members and to serve notice, any industrial action would not be expected to take place until November or December.
Siptu divisional organiser Owen Reidy said the union was seeking to bring closer harmony over time to the terms and conditions of Luas drivers and Iarnród Éireann drivers.
