Hundreds of thousands of commuters across the country will face major disruption today as Irish Rail will officially undertake the first day of industrial action today in an attempt to force through better pay and conditions for workers at the company.
The scheduled strike action which will be the first of five workplace stoppages comes after talks broke down with management at the the Labour Relations Commission last month.
It is understood staff at the company will down tools this morning in a dispute over pay improvements at the comapny. Union chiefs say the planned work stoppages which will take place across November and December just be undertaken in order for their demands to be met by management at the company.
The stoppages which will affect over 150,000 commuters on November 1, 7, 14, 23 and December 8, have been organised by staff after the company refused to agree to their request of a 3.75% pay increase for the next three years.
Although Irish Rail are willing to offer in the region of 1.5% for its staff, union chiefs say both parties are a long way off on what they deem acceptable.
They also say what they are asking for is more than reasonable given that staff at other transport authorities recieved a similar pay increase in recent years.