Eight more days of industrial action by Luas drivers are almost certain to go ahead, as talks between Siptu and the Luas operator, Transdev, broke down once more without any agreement.
Both parties met earlier today, and it is understood that Transdev tabled a second pay deal today, but Siptu again walked away from the negotiations. A spokesperson for Transdev later said “Based on the meeting this afternoon it is apparent that there is no basis for any talks or other intervention in this dispute at this point.
“The union’s expectations remain in excess of what was proposed at the Workplace Relations Commission and on that basis any discussions would have no prospect of success.”
The situation remains deadlocked, and as it is, eight days of stoppages will go ahead as follows: Five 24-hour strikes are planned on Thursday April 28, Wednesday May 4, Friday May 13, a week later on May 20 and a week after that on May 27.
A separate four-hour stoppage is also planned for Thursday May 26.
It is believed that Transdev’s next move will be to put staff on ‘protective notice.’