Brinks staff to vote on new proposals

Workers at Brinks Allied vote today on new proposals to resolve their month-old dispute.

Workers at Brinks Allied vote today on new proposals to resolve their month-old dispute.

Staff at the cash delivery company, who work in Dublin and elsewhere in the east, have been on strike since Monday.

They have been off the road since the end of July, however, since the row over proposed work procedures began.

The dispute has disrupted ATM services in the affected areas, although more than 90 per cent of cash machines continue to function, according to the banks.

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At today's meeting at Liberty Hall in Dublin, the workers will consider a settlement formula put forward by the company.

It was described last night as a modification of the Labour Court recommendation issued last week, which was accepted by workers but rejected by the company. Details of the new proposals were being withheld until after today's meeting.

Brinks had attempted to introduce new Dutch vehicles and changed work practices which, it said, aimed to enhance the safety of its staff and customers.

The workers, however, who are members of SIPTU, claimed the new practices would leave them more vulnerable to attack during armed robberies.

They objected in particular to a direction from management that drivers should leave the scene of a robbery, even if that meant abandoning a colleague.

The Labour Court recommended that staff use the Dutch vehicles on an interim basis, but that the "driveaway policy" be deferred pending further evaluation.

The workers, who had voted by 60 to nine in favour of a strike, decided to go ahead with the action after management rejected the court's recommendation.

Chris Dooley

Chris Dooley

Chris Dooley is Foreign Editor of The Irish Times