Talks between Luas managment and staff will not go ahead today as planned.

Negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission, over a pay dispute, were due to get underway on Friday but they did not go ahead.

The talks were shelved after escalating differences in a row over pay hikes of up to 53%.

Luas drivers will now down tools on March 8th and St Patrick's Day. Further strike action may follow.

SIPTU is denying claims by management that drivers are using extended toilet breaks to disrupt the service.

Eoin Reidy is from the Union:

"If the allegation is true, obviously it's serious and we wouldn't condone it - it wouldn't be appropriate or right.

We have to take what our representatives are saying to us at face value. Just because the company says something is the case doesn't mean it is the case.

And this is a company that seems to be more interested in demonising their staff in the media, rather than rolling up their sleeves and negotiating an agreement with us."