Labour Court recommends 4% increase to rail relocation payments

The Labour Court recommended that Iarnrod Eireann increase the lump sum and service-based parts of its relocation agreement with the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union and the NBRU by 4%. The adjustment would restore their real value to 2006 levels. The recommendation was signed on 11 March 2010. The dispute concerned the proposed move of 77 locomotive drivers from Inchicore to Heuston Station. The union said the drivers did not want to move and would face longer journeys. Iarnrod Eireann said its existing relocation arrangements were generous and that further costs would worsen its financial position. The Court did not recommend the union’s claim to exclude the current half-hour signing-on time from future rosters. It said the extra time available for productive work could be addressed through normal roster discussions, and recommended completing the move without further delay.