Luas facing complete shut down

Transdev warns of possible lay offs or short term working if dispute continues.

An Industrial relations and human resources expert is predicting the complete shut down of the Luas service and says that a Task Force could help end the ongoing industrial action. Professor Bill Roche of University College Dublin told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland there were “several possibilities” to resolve the dispute.

“A Task Force could be established as happened during a Dublin Bus dispute years ago. The Labour Court could become involved again. ICTU, IBEC and Dublin Chamber of Commerce could also participate. For the moment the WRC has done its job,” he said.

Prof Roche added there was “a real prospect of a full close down” which he said would have the benefit of “focusing minds where to take the dispute”. Luas staff face potential lay offs or short term working if strikes continue, the operator of the Dublin light rail service has warned. Transdev also told workers it would not accept the “part performance” of employment contracts.

In what has been described by the trade union Siptu as an escalation of the current Luas dispute, management at Transdev also warned staff it would consider pursuing individual workers for losses it has incurred. The company is also now expected to offer staff lower pay rises than those set out in proposals drawn up last month at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and which were overwhelmingly rejected by workers.