Luas staff offered 13 per cent pay rise over three years

Luas staff would receive increases of just over 13 per cent over three years as part of new pay proposals put forward by Transdev, the operator of the light rail system in Dublin.

The new pay offer was made on Friday to revenue protection personnel and traffic supervisors in an attempt to resolve the ongoing dispute over pay.

The Transdev document indicates that similar proposals will be given to Luas drivers.

Siptu said in a statement it would ballot its members on the proposals and hold a meeting with Transdev management next week.

Under the new proposals staff would in addition receive a “once-off lead-in payment” of €750 towards the end of the year, with €500 of this tax-free in line with Revenue Commissioners’ guidelines.

The proposals would involve reduced pay rates for new entrants, a suggestion strongly criticised by Luas drivers and by Siptu president Jack O’Connor when it formed part of earlier proposals drawn up at the Workplace Relations Commission last month.

Under the proposals, staff would also have to agree to new productivity measures but a future bonus arrangement of 6.5 per cent would be based on an individual’s performance rather than the performance of the entire grade.

Phased increases

The proposals involve four phased pay increases of two per cent, two per cent, three per cent and three per cent.

An additional long service increment of about 3 per cent would also be paid as part of the proposals to long-serving personnel. The proposed deal would run until September 2019.

However, the company has said that the proposals will be taken off the table if they are not recommended to staff for acceptance by Siptu “internal representatives”.

The Transdev proposals for revenue protection staff and traffic supervisors also states that the company will withdraw warnings of pay deductions for employees involved in industrial action. Letters sent to staff placing them on protective notice will remain in force pending an overall resolution of the dispute at the company.

Deadline

Transdev has also set a deadline of Monday for the revenue protection and traffic supervisor personnel to accept the new proposals. The grades are expected to ballot over the weekend.

Drivers are due to meet management at Transdev on Monday.

Luas staff have already staged strikes on eight occasions over recent months. They called off stoppages planned for this weekend.

However, a further strike is due to take place next Thursday which would again bring all Luas services in Dublin to a halt.