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The Luas drivers have voted to accept the Labour Court pay recommendations

The news comes after four months of industrial action

25/5/2016 Luas Trams Leah Farrell Leah Farrell

THE STRIKING LUAS drivers have voted to accept Labour Court recommendations of an 18.3% pay hike.

The news comes after almost four months of industrial action on the part of the workers.

The drivers voted this afternoon to accept the recommendations by a margin of 66% to 34%, or 108 votes to 56.

Luas operator Transdev has also elected to accept the recommendation, bringing to an end one of the bitterest industrial disputes in recent Irish history.

“Over recent days all Siptu members employed as Luas drivers were given an opportunity to discuss and debate this Labour Court recommendation. They have now made an informed decision to accept its proposals,” said union representative Owen Reidy.

The workers recognise that this recommendation deals with the reduction of the terms and conditions of new entrants to the Luas driver grade by committing the company to a comprehensive review of this issue within the next 18 months.
The recommendation contains improved terms in relation to the link between productivity and pay increases that will amount to between 15.6% to 18.3% between now and September 2020.

Reidy said that the last few months have seen the Luas drivers “display great resilience” in pursuing improved conditions of employment.

Transdev

“Transdev have given careful consideration to the terms of the Labour Court Recommendation and have agreed to accept it,” the company said in a statement.

“We are pleased with the outcome of the ballot. This vote by employees in favour of the Labour Court Recommendation is positive news,” said managing director Gerry Madden.

As our other 3 grades had previously agreed settlement terms at local level back in April this now brings the dispute to an end.

Acknowledging that a “critical next step” is to rebuild working relationships, Madden said:

“We entered the Labour Court process and all previous talks involving the State’s Industrial Relations institutions in good faith and we believe that the decision to accept the Recommendation is best for our customers, our staff and the long term future of the Luas.”

Terms

Together with an increase of 18.3% in basic pay for the drivers over the course of the next four years the Labour Court has also suggested that an increase in shift length not be introduced, a key issue for the drivers in their rejection of recommendations from the Workplace Relations Commission in March.

Regarding the introduction of lower starting-pay for new recruits, another key issue for the drivers, the Labour Court said that the issue should be revisited within 18 months.

Other recommendations include that a payment of €750 be made up front to the drivers given their bonus for 2016 has been forfeited, and restoration of the 10% salary cut applied by Luas operator Transdev, with all money outstanding to be paid also.

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    Mute Ryan
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    Jul 17th 2021, 7:06 PM

    I’ll take the virus instead, thanks

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    Mute Jonathan
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    Jul 17th 2021, 7:13 PM

    Come on guys, get them into you. Let’s move on

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    Mute Padraig O Muirthile
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    Jul 17th 2021, 4:40 PM

    Reminds me of the Save The Kids crypto scandal doing the rounds on YouTube. There, a ‘software change”, enabling YouTube “influencers” to pump and dump a crypto coin onto their fans was enacted at the last minute before launch. A bit less serious here. Something supposed to be available Monday is available today. Big wow.

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    Mute Adrian O'Donnell
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    Jul 17th 2021, 4:46 PM

    Is this gonna end up being like the chickenpox episode of South Park where the parents conspire to get the children infected so it goes through them while they’re young?

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    Mute Barrycelona
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    Jul 17th 2021, 6:18 PM

    @Adrian O’Donnell: If you choose not to get vaccinated against an infectious disease, that is your business but trying to encourage younger people not to get vaccinated and placing their health at risk by getting the virus is beyond contempt. Parents will do the best for their children and try to make them safe. What would you do to help a non vaccinated member of your family – Take them to the doctor if they got sick – Hypocrisy at its best. And besides you seem to think that young people are stupid and cannot make up their own minds

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    Mute Franky Jefferson
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    Jul 17th 2021, 6:40 PM

    @Barrycelona: A young person is more likely to get into a car crash than get serious illness from covid… yet… how is it not seen in this ‘new world’ of prioritizing health over all other concerns that such a thing is gravely irresponsible? Oh yeah that’s right… because you’re a hypocrite… and it’s more about signaling “I’m good and correct” than it is about truly caring for other people. Stop.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jul 18th 2021, 6:07 AM

    @Franky Jefferson: doesn’t mean we send young people out into the middle of a dual carriageway though. Also, think of all the safety features of the average car. Airbags, seatbelts etc then all the laws that apply to driving, license, speed limits etc. Bad comparison chief.

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    Mute The Unstable Genius
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    Jul 18th 2021, 7:52 AM

    @Barrycelona: The reason they have to opt in to Astra Zeneca is because it is 3 times more likely to be fatal in this age bracket than COVID is due to clotting. They aren’t using it in the UK in this age cohort. I would wait for an mRNA vaccine. Still possible myocarditis but deadly clots less likely.

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    Mute bkyona
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    Jul 17th 2021, 8:21 PM

    The year is 2025 …. 18 to 24 year olds require change in legislation to allow for access to MaryJane.

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    Mute Sam Harms
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    Jul 18th 2021, 8:26 AM

    This happened with the 35-39, 30-34 and 25-29 age group too, not really a big deal since people seem to done by year of birth anyway.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jul 18th 2021, 12:27 PM

    If you’re not in, you can’t win – great to see the system getting ahead of schedule anyway.

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