Thousands of rail users will have to make alternative travel plans next Friday after talks between unions and management at Iarnrod Eireann collapsed overnight.
Train drivers will walk off the job between 6am and 9am next Friday morning in a dispute over pay, and members of SIPTU and the National Bus and Railworkers' Union say they'll down tools again on Friday November 6th if they still haven't got what they want.
Workers say they're owed money for past productivity, but Irish Rail claims any extra payments can only be made if they're promised increased productivity in the future.
The rail operator says it is currently losing €1.5 million per month.
General Secretary of the NRBU Dermot O'Leary said:
“Despite the best efforts of the Workplace Relations Commission we were unable to reach agreement on the issues at the centre of the dispute, we, for our part sought to have the issue of previous contributions by train drivers dealt with in a way that would, if satisfactorily addressed have allowed for the possibility of further discussions on the whole range of issues around the productivity agenda, it is unfortunate that our resolve to deal with the issues was not matched by the Company on this occasion."
