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TRANSDEV, THE COMPANY that runs the Luas, is standing firm in the face of a threatened strike from drivers.
In a strongly worded statement this afternoon, it said pay and conditions on the Dublin tram system were very favourable, and called for fresh talks at the Workplace Relations Commission.
Drivers voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action last week, with a Siptu representative saying that 24 or 48 hour stoppages were “quite likely”.
223 Luas employees took part in the ballot. 221 voted in favour of industrial action, with only two people voting against.
The union needs to give 21 days notice of any action.
Drivers are understood to be preparing for a two-day stoppage.
Escalating row
Speaking last week, Siptu organiser Owen Reidy said the union had been talking to management for 18 months but had been “getting nowhere”.
“I anticipate that given the result and the fact that it is emphatic that there will be a lot of frustration, and the ballot can allow us to do 24 and 48 hour stoppages,” Reidy said.
Drivers are essentially seeking pay parity with heavy rail drivers for Irish Rail.
Currently, the top salary after ten years of service is around €42,000. Siptu’s calling for an increase in the starting salary to €35,000 – up from €32,000 – rising to €60,000 after ten years.
Management hits back
In today’s statement Transdev Managing Director Gerry Madden said he believed “pay and terms and conditions of Luas employees are, and always have been, very favourable”.
The Labour Court issued a recommendation in December 2015 “that both parties should enter into realistic and meaningful negotiations under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on the issues in dispute,” he said.
Transdev firmly believes that the Labour Court’s recommendation provides the only framework within which this dispute can be resolved and is calling on SIPTU and internal staff representatives to re-engage under the auspices of the WRC to resolve this dispute and avoid any unnecessary disruption to our customers.
According to Transdev:
“The claims being pursued by SIPTU on pay alone are between 8.5% and 53.8% depending on the pay scale, and would cost Transdev €30 million over the 5 years of the Luas operating contract – €6m per year.
“This is at a time when Transdev finds itself in a loss making situation.
“The loss incurred by Transdev in 2015 was €700,000 and we are predicting further losses in 2016. The financial status of the company has been independently verified by Mazars and this analysis has been fully shared with SIPTU as recommended by the Labour Court.
“The Labour Court recommended that the Mazars report should provide a context for the parties to engage in the discussions under the auspices of the WRC.
SIPTU members rejected the Labour Court recommendation.
Pay scales
The company, in its statement this afternoon, included a link to detailed information on pay scales.
It also highlighted a bonus system for workers, in addition to pay, of up to 6.5%.
“This averages out at between €2,200 and €3,000 per employee per annum. Over 96% of employees achieve the maximum bonus.”
Signing off its lengthy statement, the company said:
“During the economic crisis, Transdev, unlike many other employers, did not cut pay, freeze pay or change our employees’ terms and conditions. On the contrary Transdev increased pay between the years 2009 and 2015, with increments ranging between 1.25% and 5%. During this period we also reduced average working hours.
121 out of 243 union employees received a salary uplift in the year 2015.
So a tram driver starts on more money than a nurse & earns more after 10 years! What a country!
Wants it to nearly Double to 60k for 10years service !!! Seriously like wtf .. the unions are going destroy the place if they keep going .. Fools
Katrina nurses are grossly underpaid for the excellent job they do. Hospital consultants and specialists are sucking the HSE dry. You deserve much much more.
AND SO DO LUAS DRIVERS. The LUAS generates millions annually. Time to pay those who keep those trams rolling 24/7 .
The trams don’t roll 24/7, as anyone who’s tried to get one on a Sunday morning has found out.
Theres a huge difference in generating millions and turning a profit from it !!! Simple maths if you spend more then you take in your at a loss , adding more expenses to a loss gets you nowhere fast ..
Very well said Katrina!
Its a pitiful joke isnt it. A nurse needs a four year degree and a tram driver what 10 minutes?
What the hell Travis????! You do realise that the company was in the red by 700,000 last year?! They earn too much as it is. Sack the lot of them, cut the pay and rehire.
Travis, luas charges a ticket price to cover operating costs. The State I.e. you and me, picks up the tab for the sunk capital cost which was massive. The only reason this is being tried on is because the State awards the operation contract after a tender. I presume SIPTU feel that if they bankrupt the current operator the State will have to either subsidise the operation or up ticket prices. Light rail drivers are not heavy rail drivers. There is no real comparison. Also luas is operated by a private company which will stand or fall on profitability. If the company had cut their wages during the downturn as happened to so many other workers including public service workers (but not commercial semi states) I might have more sympathy.
How do you know there pay was not cut.?
Michelle because the article said so! Read the piece at the end by the company.
Ah !! Just give them a big pay rise. They work very long and hard hours and it’s not easy dodging cars that break the lights continously
100% agree Katrina , a tram shunter on that money for a loss making company getting more than nurses if massive f€€king joke . Hope the company counters with wages cuts or redundancy for bloody greed. And those aaa fools backing it of course
Let them strike, they’ll get no sympathy
Solidarity with the drivers. Paying all workers a decent wage is in the interests of the economy and society as a whole. Business in general wants its customers to have as much money in their pockets as possible to purchase their products and services and generate revenue and profit. In contrast, each individual firm wants to pay their workers as little as possible to reduce costs in order to maximize profit. In the macro economy, the workers ARE the customers and this glaring contradiction is lost on the slavering neo liberals eternally demanding wage cuts and ‘flexibility’ such as minimal hour contracts in the labour market.
It’s always aggregate demand and spending through the whole economy that ultimately creates and maintains jobs. Someone’s spending is always someone else’s job and income as the macro economy is circular. It is the aggregate spending of everyone in the economy, public, private, individuals and businesses that maintains and creates employment. We have seen the result of slashed government and private sector spending over the past 7 years of Austerity reflected in our massive dole queues, planes full of emigrants and mounting social problems such as the homelessness crisis.
Wally – if that’s the case then why not just pay everyone 100k as a basic salary? If the drivers get their way (for what is, let’s face it – a low skill job) – then luas costs rise. They rise for me and you. So now I need a bump from my employer. There’s a knock on effect of costs. Get the cost of living down is a better method – or we have a grown up conversation about low skill jobs and earning potential.
Do you not think that €32,000 to €42,000 is a good wage for a 36 hour working week? I presume staff can work overtime also. There is also a 6.5% bonus.
The higher the wage, the further prices will increase, impacting us all, ensuring any wage increase is negated by price increases.
I don’t really understand a person taking a job where they know the pay scale before they start, only for them to complain about it once they start.
Scarr,
We don’t need to pay everyone a €100k but to increase the average industrial wage to say €45k would be very beneficial for the economy and society as whole.
We’ve been conditioned to think that higher wages inevitable means higher prices. But equally higher wages could instead mean reduced profits (while keeping prices static) which would return a greater share of the wealth produced to labour and away from capital.
As the data clearly shows, the trend over the past few decades has been overwhelmingly in the opposite direction with greater and greater wealth accumulating to capital owners and less and less to the workers. This has disastrous consequences for society and it’s long past time we stopped the rot.
Ok so we increase the wage to 45,000 would you then be happy for prices to increase to this level to meet the increase?
You cannot drive up wages and expect things to stay the same price, remember with reduced profits comes reduced corporation tax.
I don’t know how you can say increase the avg to 45k without any impact. If you want 45k it has to be linked to skills demand. Let’s say the avg worker in a UPC call centre is on 35k, we now make the avg 45k, UPC have to raise their wages to 45k to attract workers. Are profits going to go down or are prices going to increase? Also, do you think that having an avg wage of 45k makes Ireland more or less attractive to multinationals?
Wally what planet are you living on ? Pay everyone €45k a year. Sound like Sinn Feins economics.
I guess you don’t employ anyone.
I employ 35 people and this would put all my staff out of work and would close my business.
wake up !
You obviously don’t pay anyone wage Wally. Typical , give everyone more money and don’t worry about employers who pay the tax and have to sell the goods to pay it.
LUAS Drivers dont want sympathy. You can keep that. LUAS Drivers just want the wages they deserve to reflect the demanding job they do.
The Reds say it all wally …..kapitilist lackeys
Driving a tram for between 32k and 42k a year sounds pretty sweet :) typical public sector BS. If it was privately run they’d be on less and if they under performed they’d be fired. But alas they’ll be bought off to ensure they vote the current gangsters in.
Blah blah blah blah wally. Have you heard yourself? After 10 years 60,000 euro?!!!!! For doing something a monkey could do?
Fundamental flaw with your argument Wally is your not accounting for inflation.
Inflation destroys wealth but also reduces the purchasing power of “ordinary working people”
In the medium to long term higher wages ALWAYS causes higher prices!
If your concerned about growing inequality tax accumulated wealth not income or the incentives to work
Brian I hate to step on your anti-public sector rant but the company running the Luas are a private sector company. The workers are private sector workers not public sector workers.
What they appear to be trying to do is establish a pay relationship with Irish Rail which is a public sector company. But heavy rail is not the same as light rail and is a more onerous and responsible job.
If Luas workers feel they are worth this enormous rise (a negotiating tactic one would presume) then let them put forward their case. They have rejected the Labour Court. An option normally reserved for employers. Their employer is losing money. What they are banking on is that the State will not let the private company running the Luas go to the wall. Well they may have to!
I’m still laughing at wallys opening line “Solidarity with the workers” .. the workers who currently earn in excess of €800 per week , if these workers where low paid i’d fully agree , But these demands are monthy phyton comedy type stuff !!!
a monkey can make a bed and take a blood pressure reading also karen.
Can a monkey pass a four year nursing course Paul? I know it can sit on it ass and move a stick back and forward.
nursing course stop ffs answer phones take blood and change beds 4 years training for that jesus wept then treated strike 2 maybe 3 times every year.
What about graduates who spend 4 years on a degree, then maybe a masters and their starting out wages are on average 20-22k. People in skilled jobs are being paid buttons by greedy companies, yet these guys, who are on salaries that some of us will probably never see, are crying and striking.
Did they not agree to the T & C when they started the job?
Did FG not say they wouldn’t introduce a recurring tax on the family home?
Whether t&c were agreed or not every employee has the right to stand and fight for better conditions. Dont you agree???
Mooney do you or AAA agree with Sinn Fein in keeping USC as part of future taxes
Yes you can look for better pay and conditions and if you’re told no, suck it up or get another job if you think you’re skills deserve it.
Zero support from me
They asked for too much. What employer would agree to 100% salary increase to €60k after 10 years service.
Judging by pay levels here pure greed seems to be a factor in this dispute,there is no way this privately operated loss making company tram company could survive on the pay levels demanded by this union,the fact that Irish rail drivers pay levels are only possible because the taxpayers continue to bail out the never ending loss making state company seems lost on them,then again maybe the union would prefer to see this private company pull out and leave the taxpayers to fund yet another state run disaster.
Dont agree with the strike but the real problem here is the ridiculous salaries being handed out to Irish Rail, Dublin Bus and BusEireann. If the salaries of the civil servants working in trasport was sensible then this strike wouldn’t happen. Its just a case of the green eyed monster.
T-Witter not to be pedantic but no civil servants work for State transport companies. Commercial semi states are more akin to private companies and they are usually referred to as “public sector workers”. Most as far as I know experienced no wage cuts during the downturn unlike all civil servants and other public servants. But to blame workers in semi states for the actions of private workers who are employed by the privately owned and run luas operator is unfair in my view.
I can’t actually believe this. 35k – 42k for a job that’s easier than driving a go kart. And they want 60. Where’s the application for this. I’m dropping outta college. Two family members are SNAs, their job requires college qualification, they go through hell and get paid is.
less
It is utter madness
That’s a very generous salary I’d say…starting at 35k..wow
I have an ungrad and masters and started on 30
Hate to be those two if it was an open ballot.
They’re on 42k a year for a job that doesn’t require further education or an apprenticeship or a 3rd level qualification I’d say they’re doing OK as it is
And they’re looking for 60k after 10 years service…. For a job that takes 6 months training….
Is there any jobs going there I wonder
Neenee… I checked when I saw the wages and conditions… Not a hope… The only way in the door of that closed shop would be through a combination of having a family member in management and hiring a hitman to take out one of the current drivers…..
Like Irish Rail, Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus – these lads are not living in the real world at all!
I support unions. They CAN be good things for workers – but 60k for driving a tram? Starting out at 35k? There are software developers, who have studied hard and qualified that wouldn’t get that as a starting wage! These lads can get f….
When they first started recruiting everyone was in the trough of the ” Celtic tiger” and wouldn’t lower themselves to be a Luas driver so good to see that they are decent pay and conditions
45k when you include the bonus. That’s quite a good wage for sociable hours, low skill requirement and no requirement for third level education.
That’s bull Anthony plenty of unqualified people during the Celtic tiger were getting paid nowhere near that rate even people with 3rd level education wouldn’t have got it either
Not necessarily the first intake of drivers were mainly made up of people coming into Ireland, Irish people weren’t taking the jobs up because there was better money to be made elsewhere
The Joe Luas is the best thing to happen Dublin since the departure of the black n tans, it’s a drivers dream no steering, no contact with the public. Just sit back and let it rool, and 40k at the end of year
Can you give me an example of these jobs that people with no skills or qualifications were getting with salaries of 42k including bonuses
If software developers struggle to get these pay and conditions after 4 years of college as you say then that’s really the fault of software developers and not Luas drivers.
Who mentioned software developers?
I see scar said it now many highly paid professions don’t start off on a high grade of pay you have to learn your trade before you reap the benefits
Neenee – many soft devs start off around 30k, and a good few will reach around 60k after a number of years in a skilled profession, while continuously upskilling, staying abreast of tech changes and learning new programming languages – or they could drive a tram along a line where they don’t have to take money or interact with commuters. See what I’m getting at?
Totally agree with you I know what you were getting at
they can look for whatever they want fair play to them they ain’t going to get it but best of luck to them.
your correct anthony the high flyers of the celtic tiger woulnd do this job and are now jealous of a lads pay when the bollix fell out of the economy best of luck to the drivers.
They want pay parity with heavy rail drivers for Irish Rail? And why not!
I’d like pay parity with the President of the USA, I know we don’t do the same job or anything like it, but it seems like thats secondary.
I propose a compromise, give them parity with rickshaw drivers.
I’m loling all over the place at that one!
What are these favourable pay and conditions? Don’t leave us hanging here.
According to Irish Independent – Luas drivers can currently earn in the region of €42,000 per annum
Or €807 a week if yiu need it broken down for you !!! Working for company thats making a loss no less
A bonus of 6.5% each year for one…
Luas management need to let drivers strike until it has cost the company the 30 million been demanded by unions. We will see then what the cost will be to use who use the service if this increase is allowed go ahead. It will be a pain but i fully support management here.
Privatise the service that will put an end to this nonsense …. Oh wait it is a private company
You made that joke last time.
for those lucky enough to be in career where they can effectively hold a gun to the heads of their employer, the salary has nothing whatever to do with education, training, skill, years of service or whatever.
The salary is proportional to the mayhem they can cause if they go on strike, Mostly service industries in the public or semi public sector.
Hence the inflated salaries of
ESB workers
Train drivers.
Gas workers.
Teachers.
Civil Servants
After visiting Paris and using metro a lot I could not stop thinking why its cheaper then LUAS…now I know.
Remington, well you’d be wrong. Metro workers in Paris are among the most pampered workers in France. The reason fares are low on their metro is because of the massive subsidy from the French State which dwarfs the subsidy given to public transport in Ireland. The Luas receives no direct subsidy except for the State absorbing the capital costs. It is privately run. The fares meet the operating costs.
SIPTU trying to wreck another company. 60k to push a lever forward? Crazy
Public transport drivers are safety crirical workers and responsible for the lives they transport. They should get paid to reflect this responsibility not just for pushing buttons.
They have every right to pursue better working conditions regardless of what naysayers or keyboard brain suckers have to say about it.
responsible for the lives they transport ?
No they are not, actually. It is the company that is responsible!
better working conditions ?
They are hardly working down a col pit !
Travis your the tye of person that would do them more harm then good with your uneducated and out of touch comments
Top rate for Dublin bus drivers is about €43k and they are responsible for the lives they transport. Surely the job they do is much harder as they aren’t on a rail with their own traffic lights clearing the Way for them? Yet they deserve more money? Greed.
How is the company losing money???
Grossly overpaid drivers would be an obvious starting point !!!
Obscenely overpaid surplus desk jockeys…..more likely!
The company is loss making?? No way.. every team between 8 and 9 in the morning is wedged.. companies like this cool their books to look not as profitable as they are.. in saying that I don’t agree with striking.. they start on well above the median wage..
It might help if they weren’t ferrying all the “athletes” in Dublin around the place all day free or charge. Added advantages to that would include a more pleasant service for paying customers and a reduction of zombies in the city center.At the very least reduce the free travel for under 65′s and non disabled to certain hours.
There you go sean baylon you are the first to acknowledge the money is there and is a plenty
??
If I were an employee , I would certainly be worried about the advice and guidance SIPTU is providing , it seems to me that they may have misjudged the temperature here . This could irreparably damage the relationship between employer and employee .
Don’t think the Luas operating company would have much problem filling driver positions with that salary.Drivers need to look at what other job options would available to them on a comparable salary!!NONE
The demands must not be met.
Luas drivers signed up for these terms and conditions when it was set up 10 years ago knowing full well their relative pay scale to Irish rail drivers. They know where they fitted into the overall pay scales and had no dispute about this up until now.
This is not about decent workers rights but opportunism. Now that the economy is turned unions think its open season for massive pay rises. The country is still running a defecit and amassed over 150 billion in debts over the past 10 years.
Personally, I think SIPTU have come a long way from their founding values. This is SIPTU completely chancing their arm, and they are threatening their own workers livelihoods. The company go to the wall, drivers get statutory redundancy payments and a new company could be set up.
Typical IBEC-esque, ill-conceived union bashing tripe when they are merely seeking to represent their membership as delegated and mandated by them in good faith however legitimate their initial claims, subject to ongoing negotiations and inevitable bargaining until both sides can be seen to declare hollow victories, of sorts!
So, they are already earning more starting out than what most people earn starting out in skilled jobs that require a 3rd level degree or masters? The whole lot of them deserve to have no jobs.
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