Irish Rail has warned intending passengers to "keep an eye on the media next week" for information on disruptions to train services. The move follows rumours within the CIE group of unions that DART and mainline train drivers may call in sick on Tuesday.
A spokesman for Irish Rail d Eireann said last night the company had requested the Labour Relations Commission to become involved and a meeting had been arranged for Sunday between it and the main unions, SIPTU and the National Bus and Railway-workers' Union (NBRU).
The rumours of disruption are being taken seriously by CIE management and follow the breakdown of pay talks which have been in progress for two years.
Earlier a spokesman for CIE said that following indications that some drivers might not turn up for work, CIE was expecting "some disruption to services.
"We are presently trying to find out the extent of the disruption. The company is concerned about this as it is not in anybody's interest to take spurious or gratuitous action. The unions involved are not supporting this either, " he said.
However, while acknowledging that it was an unofficial dispute, Mr Tony Tobin of SIPTU said the blame for the drivers' action lay with the chairman of CIE, Mr Brian Joyce.
"This man asked the Minister to allow him to deal with CIE unions and not to allow the unions to find sanctuary anywhere. What about our rights under Partnership 2000? We have an agreement and we will see any Minister if we want - this man is trying to tell the union how to run its business."
Mr Tobin also insisted the drivers "are not taking action, they are taking a sick day".
Mr Peter Bunting, general secretary of the National Bus and Railway-workers' Union said he still hoped the action could be averted. "If somebody gave a commitment that discussions would get real I would hope that the drivers would reconsider their position. Unofficial disputes help nobody. In the end of the day we can only solve things by sitting down around the table," he said.