Talks aimed at averting futher industrial action at Iarnród Éireann are continuing at the Labour Relations Commission tonight.
Trade unions and management at the company are meeting with a view to resolving the long-running pay-related dispute, which could result in fresh strikes next Sunday and Monday.
Ahead of the talks today, the trade union Siptu said the Government needs to look at progressive incremental increases to the State's subvention to Iarnród Éireann.
The union also said it was too early to say whether the planned strikes would be called off, despite there being good engagement at the talks yesterday.
Parties such as the Government and the National Transport Authority (NTA) needed to step up to the plate, Siptu's Owen Reidy said.
He welcomed comments by the Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe that he would propose no further cuts to the State's allocation to the rail operator next year.
However, he said the Government should plan for progressive gradual incremental increases to the subvention. He said unions and the company alone could not solve the future of the railways.
“The stakeholders such as the NTA and the Government who own the railway have to play a pivotal role. The subvention issue is really important. We need a mechanism where we can sit down with stakeholders to discuss the future of the railways.”
Iarnród Éireann spokesman Barry Kenny said some progress had been made in the talks but many issues remained to be resolved.
He said 160,000 people would be affected if planned strikes on Sunday and Monday went ahead.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Enda Kenny warned that the continuation of the strike at the rail operator would damage the reputation of the country.
Urging both sides to get down to “real talks” he brushed aside speculation about a possible increase in the Government’s subvention to the company.
"The Minister for Transport has made it perfectly clear that the tried and tested mechanisms of the State are at the disposal of both sides here ," said the Taoiseach. "I really would urge them now to get down to real talks with the assistance of the Labour Relations Commission and hopefully bring about a conclusion to this.".
Mr Kenny said nobody was benefiting from the continued unrest. He said he hoped a conclusion could be reached at the Labour Relations Commission.
The dispute centres on the unilateral introduction by management on Sunday week last of temporary pay cuts of between 1.7 and 6 per cent for staff. The pay cuts will remain in place for 28 months.
Management said it had no choice but to put in place the payroll savings given the precarious financial state of the State-owned rail operator.
The company said talks had been underway with unions for 20 months on a cost-saving plan but this had been rejected by the NBRU and Siptu.
The Irish Times reported on Saturday that an internal Department of Transport document said Iarnród Éireann was facing losses of €20 million even after the implementation of the controversial temporary pay cuts for staff.
Unions have expressed concern that if they agreed to the current pay reductions, it would not address the overall financial difficulties facing the company and management would seek further cuts in the future.
Unions have contended the Government’s subvention to the company, which has fallen significantly over recent years, needs to be reconsidered as part of any solution.
About 160,000 passengers were affected by a two-day strike at the train company last week and a similar number are likely to face disruption if the next round of industrial action goes ahead on September 7th and 8th.
