Luas strike ongoing in Dublin
A hugely disruptive strike by Luas drivers has gone ahead today - with no sign of a resolution in sight in the long running dispute over pay.
Striking drivers have brought the light rail system to a 48-hour standstill, as the city swells with visitors for the centenary of the Easter Rising.
Last week Luas drivers voted against a proposed pay deal of almost 19%, brokered after lengthy negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission.
Four more stoppages are planned during the month of April.
The company that runs the Luas - Transdev- have said today's action will have serious consequences.
SIPTU's Divisional Organiser, Owen Reidy has said workers would prefer to be servicing the public: “People may not accept it but I think it is fair to say that the workers that are out on dispute today would much prefer to be driving their trams and servicing the public.
“This is a difficult dispute; it didn’t just happen in the last week.
“It has been bubbling for some time, however we are here, it is going ahead, it is unfortunate, it is quite a tragic situation in many ways that it has come to this.”
