SIPTU HAS STRONGLY denied that Luas workers are looking for a deal that they rejected to be re-tabled by operating company Transdev, following a newspaper report this morning.
The Sunday Times reported today that Luas workers were looking for Transdev to re-table the deal agreed upon at the Workplace Relations Commission last month, that was rejected at the time by 99% of balloted staff.
Transdev has since withdrawn that deal, and Luas workers (excluding drivers) agreed to a reduced offer of 13% increases over the course of five years.
Speaking to the TheJournal.ie, Siptu divisional organiser Owen Reidy said that drivers were not looking for the WRC deal to be re-tabled.
“I don’t know where [the report] is coming from – there’s no truth in it whatsoever,” said Reidy.
“There’s no foundation in it – it’s completely false.
Where we’re at is 26.5% – which is still over the WRC proposals… No one has asked about less.
Reidy said that he had double-checked with other representatives, but that there was no reports of drivers looking for the WRC deal to be re-tabled.
“Ratcheted up”
Reidy said that as things stand, strikes scheduled for this coming Wednesday will go ahead.
He also said that in the absence of any more talks or movement from Transdev, further strikes will take place on 13, 20 and 26 May.
Reidy accused Transdev of “ratcheting things up” by docking striking workers’ wages by 10% – a reduction that came into effect on Friday.
Transdev has said previously that the Luas drivers’ claims remain too high and that they will only engage with them “once a credible basis for negotiations exists”.
TheJournal.ie has contacted Transdev for comment on today’s report but has yet to receive a response.
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