Staff uncertainty as Luas cutbacks loom
Dublin People 24 Mar 2012
ELEVEN Luas staff are facing an uncertain future as transport provider Veolia prepares
to cut back on services.
Southside
People can reveal that Veolia and the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) recently
agreed to reduce services due to the fact that fewer passengers than originally
estimated are using the new extension lines to Saggart and Cherrywood.
A spokesperson
for Veolia said the service level revision was agreed with the RPA on February
27 and that the changes will be implemented on Luas timetables from April 16.
She confirmed
that,
“regrettably
?, as a result of this, seven Luas drivers and four ticket
inspectors who were recruited on fixed 12-month contracts in May and June 2011
to work on the Saggart Red Line extension, will not have their contracts
renewed.
She said the
reduction in services on all Luas lines would represent a
?¬1.5 million saving.
One Luas driver
from the Tallaght area, who spoke to Southside People on condition of
anonymity, said that he and a number of other drivers and ticket inspectors who
work for Veolia are calling on the company to extend the workers’ contracts.
He claimed that
some operational staff working on the Luas have complained about what he
described as
“overtime fatigue
?.
He said that
full-time staff members were calling for the retention of the 11 workers whose
jobs are at risk.
“Our rest patterns and our shift patterns
aren’t good enough,
? he claimed.
“You are working with minimum staff. They need
to get in more staff so we have a better work/life balance and better rest
periods in between.
?
John Murphy,
industrial organiser in the transport sector for Veolia and Dublin Bus at
SIPTU, confirmed that the union was currently in talks with the Luas operator
on behalf of its members regarding several issues, including the retention of
the 11 staff.
“Concerns have
been reported to us about fatigue and erratic shifts,
? Mr Murphy said.
“We hope
that if we can achieve some improvement in the rosters currently being operated
that it would necessitate the retention of these people.
?
He added that
SIPTU was also meeting with the Railway Safety Commission regarding certain
health and safety concerns the Veolia
workers had raised.
A spokesperson
for Veolia said they were working with those affected to try to source other
job opportunities within the group
“The company
and union [SIPTU] are in discussions on driver duties and rosters,
? the
spokesperson said.
“The company,
out of respect to all Luas employees and the labour relations process, will not
comment on these negotiations while they are ongoing.
?
A spokesperson
for the RPA said it had recently conducted a review of all Luas services in the
city.
He said the RPA
had yet to officially announce any changes in timetables for all services on
the Red and Green lines but added it would try to ensure that the reduction
would be kept to a minimum.
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