Traders in Dublin city centre say that they are losing approximately €1.5 million every day that Luas workers are on strike.

Richard Guiney of DublinTown, a Business Improvement District in the capital, has criticised the city’s infrastructure.

He is calling for significant improvements so that when a major component isn’t running, it doesn’t give a bad impression:

Transdev, which runs the Luas, claims it is losing €100,000 every day the trams don’t run.

Another eight stoppages are planned by Luas drivers in April and May, with further talks between unions and management set for next week.

The pay dispute has caused significant disruptions for commuters in recent weeks. 

Siptu negotiator Owen Reidy defended workers and the strike plans, saying:

"The reason why we did this today and gave such lengthy notice is to create the space and opportunity for talks in the hope that the strikes won't have to happen.''