SIPTU members outraged at Trandsev threat to reduce pay of Luas drivers

dublin | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Thursday April 28, 2016 12:45 by 1 of Indymedia

SIPTU Press Release - 27 April 2016

SIPTU members at Transdev will not accept the company reducing their pay in response to their prosecution of a lawful and legitimate trade dispute.

According to SIPTU Divisional Organiser, Owen Reidy, Transdev has acted in a provocative and unprecedented manner by threatening to reduce the pay of Luas drivers by at least 10% if they continue their work to rule.

SIPTU members at Transdev will not accept the company reducing their pay in response to their prosecution of a lawful and legitimate trade dispute.

According to SIPTU Divisional Organiser, Owen Reidy, Transdev has acted in a provocative and unprecedented manner by threatening to reduce the pay of Luas drivers by at least 10% if they continue their work to rule.

“This is an outrageous and provocative act on behalf of the company which is clearly designed to seek to bully members into submission. Our driver members are involved in a lawful and legitimate trade dispute over pay and conditions of employment with their employer and its threatening approach is, in our opinion, unlawful and will be challenged,” Owen Reidy said.

“Our members have compromised and modified their position. They have made a logical point that having rejected the previous Workplace Relations Commission proposals by 99% they require some improvement in such proposals to resolve the dispute and this progressive attitude has been met with an ‘over the top’ response from the company.

“The company response will merely prolong and intensify what is fast becoming a very divisive and bitter dispute. SIPTU driver members will not be intimated or threatened into a unilateral one sided agreement. They continue to demand a negotiated settlement and are resolved to see this through. Drivers will meet tomorrow to consider the recent developments.”