SIPTU members in Irish Rail are today (Monday, 25th August) manning pickets at stations across the rail network as part of a 24-hour work stoppage called in response to a unilateral cut to their wages. SIPTU Organiser, Paul Cullen, said: “It is regrettable that the 2,100 SIPTU members in Irish Rail have had to take this action but they were left with no alternative following a management decision to impose a unilateral cut to their wages.“Our members are manning picket lines at locations throughout the rail network including all the major stations in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway”.He added: “Our members do not believe that the cuts they are being asked to take will be the last they will be expected to endure. Due to the cuts in funding to the rail service the company is operating with a deficit of approximately €60 million. There is no indication that the National Transport Authority or Department of Transport have any plans on how to offset this deficit other than expecting Irish Rail staff to endure further cuts. “The solution to this dispute rests with management reversing its decision to cut our members’ wages and entering into serious talks with workers’ representatives on the future of Irish Rail. If this does not happen SIPTU members in Irish Rail will conduct a further 48 hour work stoppage on Sunday, 7th September, and a 24 hour work stoppage on Sunday, 21st September”.
SIPTU members in Irish Rail conduct work stoppage in response to wage cuts
