'We haven't had a pay increase in ten years'
Olga Aughey
Before six am today, rail workers joined the picket line outside the gates of Mullingar Train Station in the second of five scheduled days of strike action organised by unions in the run-up to Christmas.
John Collumb was among the men who work in different departments such as the permanent way, traffic, the bridge gang and the SNE (signal and electric) departments.
He said workers are being made feel they have to subsidize the railway and hopes that management and unions can come to a reasonable resolution sooner rather than later.
"There are around 15 - 20 of us here, this is the second day of the strike, it has been well flagged so a lot of commuters knew in advance," Mr Collumb told the Westmeath Examiner.
"We're looking for a flat pay rise. We haven't had a pay increase in ten years but we've had pay deductions. We're looking for a 3.75% pay increase per year for the next three years, we believe it's fair," says Mr Collumb who explains that it would bring their wages in line with Dublin Bus and the Luas.
"Dublin Bus drivers and the Luas drivers got a 3.75% pay deal and we feel it's only fair that Irish Rail get the same.
"They're holding talks alright but there's been talks for the previous five weeks and nothing has come from it," he continued. "They've made a pay offer of 1.75% but with an awful lot of terms and conditions involving redeployment and talk of closing ticket offices, our job security would be at risk. We feel 1.75% is not acceptable, there's no job security in that," he said.
"It's a possibility that this will escalate towards Christmas," he continued. "We'd like to get it resolved, nobody wants to be outside the gate, nobody wants to be picketing and losing money, we'd like to see it resolved and that both parties can come to a reasonable agreement on it," he continued. "But there seems to be stalemate at the moment."
"We're down about 20% of our workforce in the last ten years, that means all the gates where there used to be gatekeepers on them, there used to be ETS - the old signal system, all the signal cabins are all closed now, and the guards have gone off trains, so the wage bill has actually decreased in the last 10 years dramatically.
"I'd also like to get this point across, where it's been stated in the media that the average worker in Irish Rail is on €54,000 a year, and with the 3.75% pay increase, they're saying that we'll be up to €61,000. I can tell you, that as a depot man, I'm on less than €40,000.
"So this thing that has been put out in the media that we're on €54,000 is a load of crap. What they're doing is taking the average from the top CEO, down. Now maybe lots of managers are on €60,000 plus, but it's not the case for the majority of workers. The majority of workers in Irish Rail are under €40,000. I'd like to dispel that myth that was put out in the media."
Iarnród Éireann however insists the union claim would cost €43 million over three years and push the already vulnerable company into insolvency. The company notes that it is carrying €160 million in accumulated losses and is forecasting a further shortfall of €1 million for 2017.
Fianna Fáil's Transport Spokesperson Robert Troy said the two sides seem further apart now, than when talks initially broke down. Mr Troy said Irish Rail is chronically underfunded and the strike was preventable.
He said the Minister for Transport Shane Ross failed in his duty and had failed to establish a stakeholder forum to prevent escalation of disputes, as promised after the bus dispute.
He said he had sympathy for Irish Rail because of its precarious position but added that workers haven't had a pay rise in ten years.
A third strike day is scheduled for November 14 - the day of the Ireland-Denmark World Cup play-off.