The Irish Locomotive Drivers' Association has selected dates for resuming strike action at Iarnrod Eireann but may not release them today.
The ILDA's branch secretary, Mr Brendan Ogle, said it would give notice to the travelling public of any disruption, although he believed formal strike notice was not required as drivers would be resuming the strike suspended last May.
Today the ILDA will seek further clarification from the Labour Court on the court's opinion that the ILDA should not represent members appealing against disciplinary sanctions by the company. Three drivers face such appeals, and one of them has been sacked. Five other ILDA drivers face disciplinary proceedings.
In a rarely-used section of the 1990 Industrial Relations Act the Labour Court issued an "opinion" last week which found Iarnrod Eireann's disciplinary procedures were fair, and said ILDA drivers could be represented at appeal tribunals by the existing trade union nominees, Mr Liam Tobin, of the National Bus and Railworkers' Union, and Mr Tony Tobin, of SIPTU.
However, at the weekend Mr Ogle described the opinion as "desperately flawed" and said his members would never accept a finding which required them to be represented by members of unions they had left.
Iarnrod Eireann said the action taken by ILDA drivers last May was unofficial. It will seek damages from the ATGWU, and its British-based parent body, the Transport and General Workers' Union, if services are disrupted.
Last May Iarnrod Eireann threatened to sue the union for almost £500,000 in damages over the three-day stoppage.
Mr Ogle said yesterday the union's priority was to resolve the problem peacefully.