Informal contacts were continuing late last night to avert tomorrow's threatened withdrawal of train services in the Republic. However, the later any breakthrough occurs, the more difficult it will be to ensure normal train services operate.
The National Locomotive Drivers' Committee (NLDC), which called the strike, has members in 16 depots. There are now major logistical problems in calling it together to reconsider its position in the light of any new proposals.
If the day of action goes ahead, Inter-City services are expected to be worst affected. DART services are also likely to face disruption.
An attempt early yesterday by the chief executive of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC), Mr Kieran Mulvey, to persuade train drivers to call off tomorrow's action failed. However, this helped lay the foundation for further movement last night.
Yet late last night, the NLDC leaders were adamant they had no plans to rescind their instruction for all drivers to take tomorrow off as a rest day. Normally half of the train drivers in Iarnrod Eireann work on Sundays.
The chairman of the NLDC, Mr Brendan Ogle, said the only situation in which the committee would tell drivers to work normally was if there was a commitment by the company and unions to begin substantive negotiations on pay and working conditions next week. At present, August 17th is the starting date.
He said he was concerned that, even if this demand was met, he could not contact drivers, some of whom would be working through the night like himself.
Yesterday, Mr Mulvey wrote to the drivers' unions, SIPTU and the National Bus and Rail Union, offering to convene discussions early next week if the drivers called off tomorrow's action. At the promised meeting, which would involve Iarnrod Eireann management as well as the unions, Mr Mulvey said the LRC would: "a) identify clearly the agenda for locomotive driver discussions; b) identify the time required to deal fully with that agenda; and c) set the earliest possible date to hold those discussions."
Mr Mulvey also made it clear that if the action took place tomorrow all Iarnrod Eireann talks would be suspended.
The senior SIPTU negotiator, Mr Tony Tobin, and the NBRU assistant general secretary, Mr Liam Tobin, both said yesterday that they were available to meet early next week, as did Iarnrod Eireann management. A provisional date was set for Tuesday.
However, Mr Ogle said it would be counter-productive for him to call a meeting of his committee today without a firm commitment in writing from the LRC and the company that the talks planned for August 17th to August 21st would be brought forward.
A problem with such an arrangement is that the NLDC is an unofficial body, with no negotiating status. Any commitments from the company would have to go through the LRC.
A company spokesman said last night that it had no problem in principle with bringing forward the talks. August 17th had been chosen because it was the first date on which all relevant negotiators had been available.
He said the unwillingness of the NLDC to call off its action suggested it had a private agenda, one which did not reflect the interests of train drivers, the company or the public.
The drivers' militancy is fuelled by growing resentment at the long unsocial hours they must work to earn what they see is a decent wage and fears that cutbacks in overtime will mean a serious fall in living standards. Basic pay is £13,878 a year, or £266.89p a week, but average earnings are £29,000.