How can 2 train drivers hold the country to ransom

**max power** · 16/05/2006, 7:17 AM

I pay €44 a week for this "service". 2 drivers who have already been paid for driving these trains go off on a mad one on another issue being dealt with and now it rolls over all of us, i'd love the media to get their names and ask them to justify their actions.

I was up this morning at 5.30 to drive up and will prob be here until after 7 tonight to avoid the traffic going down as well.

all unions are the same in my eyes, they to more harm than good i, i got to dublin yesterday morning only to find out i had no way home. i had to take a half day off work to make sure i got a bus as i was signing for my mortgage yesterday and had to be home.

I hate unions, all of them, they take money every week from hunderds of thousands of people and do damn all with it apart from the cosy weekends away for the delegates and then when something like this happens where are they, its their moral duty to ask the drivers to make this an offical strike or go back to work, but after 24 hours they have done neither.

After all we all want better conditions, but not to want to drive new trains when you look at the state of the rest of them is a joke

This reminds me of the carry on film where they all went on strike because there was a match on they were going to miss, oh weren't cork city playing at home last night ??? or did the toliet roll run out in the jacks !!!!

**Macy** · 16/05/2006, 8:05 AM

Bad faith from CIE management. They were due to start talks today over the introduction of the new trains with regard to training, safety etc, so ask yourselves why Management decided to introduce the new trains the day before with no consultation? All they had to do was put the existing trains in service yesterday morning and there would've been service.

The drivers would be hung out to dry if there was an accident because they hadn't been trained in properly.

**max power** · 16/05/2006, 8:30 AM

Originally Posted by Macy

Bad faith from CIE management. They were due to start talks today over the introduction of the new trains with regard to training, safety etc, so ask yourselves why Management decided to introduce the new trains the day before with no consultation? All they had to do was put the existing trains in service yesterday morning and there would've been service.

The drivers would be hung out to dry if there was an accident because they hadn't been trained in properly.

sorry macy but i must disagree, the issues were outside these trains and they were indeed to be dealt with today. they were safety, pay etc but over the fleet and not this train.

The same happened with the dart drivers and the longer trains, any chance to get a cheap buck, if the issues are so important why hasn't an offical strike been called ???

the issue of the pay for these trains was resolved by the labour court on jan 12 and was put to bed, the other issues were to be dealt with at a later date as agreed in writing and that date was today, now i have looked at both sides and have no time for iarnrod eireann management but here all i see are drivers looking to bully more money, if it is legit then call a legit strike in the proper manner and not this cheap way in which they have.

drivers refused to drive the other trains, mine wasn't a "new" train and neither was the one i get home, but neither ran, i think there are 14 new trains in total ( 65 parts ) and the irony is they hold less than the current ones

but that issue is for another day.

**pete** · 16/05/2006, 9:54 AM

Guy at working lives in Portlaoise so had to get taxi home last night. Can't come into work today becuase no guarantee he can get home.

If workers have complaints the very least they can do is give notice of a strike! It should illegal to have wildcat strikes & people should be jailed for it.

There is absolutely no defence for these "workers: Why should they be paid to train (on company time) how to drive new modern trains. FFS what other worker would get piad extra to upskill to modern technology?????

Anyone want to calculate the cost to the irish economy because of these illegal strikes?

**max power** · 16/05/2006, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by pete

Anyone want to calculate the cost to the irish economy because of these illegal strikes?

no but i'll gladly give you the cost to me.

**Shelsman** · 16/05/2006, 11:59 AM

Do you support Train Driver's strike?

**Rory H** · 16/05/2006, 12:04 PM

if they arent trained enough to operate the new trains they i support it

its not about money,its about safety and maybe i.e. should use some of the 35euro they are charging for that **** excuse of a train service from sligo to dublin on training them properly instead of now throwing it away on hiring private coaches to transport the passengers affected....

**Lionel Ritchie** · 16/05/2006, 12:17 PM

Haven't voted as I'd like more information but I'm beginning to find the safety argument spurious.

The labour court looked at the substantial issues back in January and found the drivers hadn't a legitamate gripe. The 'Health and Safety' strawman now appears to have been constructed in an act of spitting the dummy out.

I believe I'm strongly pro-union -but this is starting to smell like the kind of fcukactin' that gets unions a bad name.

**dahamsta** · 16/05/2006, 12:21 PM

I can't vote, there's too much bull flying about.

EDIT: Can now.

**Ash** · 16/05/2006, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by wild rover

if they arent trained enough to operate the new trains they i support it...

Apparently thay have been already trained

**dahamsta** · 16/05/2006, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by Ash

Apparently thay have been already trained

This is what I mean. You say that they've already been trained, which is factually accurate. However they say that they were given one preliminary training session, and that this isn't enough. So if what they're saying is true, your statement is misleading.

**Dodge** · 16/05/2006, 12:27 PM

If its an unnofficial strike, that means it wasn't sanctioned by unions, right? So how come some are criticising unions here?

**dahamsta** · 16/05/2006, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

If its an unnofficial strike, that means it wasn't sanctioned by unions, right? So how come some are criticising unions here?

Any opportunity to stick in the knife, even if it defies logic and common sense? If the cap fits...

**Rory H** · 16/05/2006, 12:37 PM

im a bit confused now

**Lionel Ritchie** · 16/05/2006, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

If its an unnofficial strike, that means it wasn't sanctioned by unions, right? So how come some are criticising unions here?

I should've been clearer on that -though I didn't criticise any given union -I said this sort of thing gives Unions a bad name.

**max power** · 16/05/2006, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by dahamsta

Any opportunity to stick in the knife, even if it defies logic and common sense? If the cap fits...

no actually if it was a legit strike the company would talk to the workers via the union, the unions in question are making no effort to do this and are in MY EYES allowing this dispute to continue with no end in sight, maybe its ok for you to sit there and judge, but do you take the trains each day ??? are you paying for a service that is not being provided because two guys feel like a pay rise ????

dahamsta, you must realise that any company can't just give into workers all over the place, they have been told if this is a legit problem call a legit strike. BUT are they doing it, no. why ??? who knows. but i do think that the unions have a moral obligation to the public to advice their members of the correct course of action which is to go back to work OR make the strike legit.

you must remember that some of these workers are SIPTU members, as were many of the workers stranded yesterday and today, they are paying members of this union and should also have their interests looked after, what would SIPTU say if a worker got sacked because they couldn't get into work with this "strike", they would be up in arms. its normal workers this is getting at.

if i drive a ford focus and get a vw golf, how many days training do i need to drive it ??? these are meant to be professional drivers ffs

end of rant.

**rebs23** · 16/05/2006, 1:06 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

If its an unnofficial strike, that means it wasn't sanctioned by unions, right? So how come some are criticising unions here?

I work in an industry bedevilled by so called unofficial action. Union officials and committees instruct members to engage in picketing or go slows but then say it has nothing to with them ie. they didn't officially sanction strike therefore very hard to prove in court union was behind action thereby very hard to sue union.
It's a common enough union tactic to circumvent the need to go through legally binding dispute procedures and deny all knowledge. This is especially true if they have been through procedures and lost (like current rail strike) or if they know they won't win by going through procedures.
Trade Unions don't do themselves any favours by proving yet again that where they are strong they take the ****.