Strike action threat could derail golf fans heading to The Open in Portrush
The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) has said strike action is planned for Friday and Saturday, July 18-19, for some of its members, which could halt Translink's rail service to the town.
Strike action is part of an ongoing pay dispute with Translink. An offer to settle, received on Wednesday from Translink, was rejected by members, with services across Northern Ireland set to be affected.
Members who work in supervisor grades (including railway controllers), as well as clerical, management, professional and technical grades (MPT), overwhelmingly voted for both strike action and action short of a strike.
Within supervisor grades at NI Railways, over 90% voted in favour of strike action, with similar results in other areas, including Ulsterbus and management grades at NI Railways, with over 80% support.
'We are keen to meet Translink to resolve the ongoing disputes for all our members,' said TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust.
'However, so far, the company has only made an inadequate offer to the supervisor grades and completely ignored our clerical and MPT members. This is not the way to resolve a pay dispute.
'I met the Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, last week to impress the urgency of this issue.
'Regrettably, it seems that both Translink and the minister are sitting on their hands and hoping that these disputes will go away. That's simply not going to happen.
'Ultimately the responsibility for any disruption during The Open rests with Translink and the minister.
'All we are asking for is the same deal that has been offered to other staff in Translink. The company is trying to fob us off with less, but TSSA members have shown, with their overwhelming support in the ballot for strike action, that they are not prepared to accept that.
'TSSA urges Translink to return to the table immediately with a fair and meaningful offer for all our members. Otherwise, we'll see them on the picket line.'
If the industrial action goes ahead, it would involve widespread disruption to rail services, not just in Portrush.
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Translink has planned special buses and trains to Portrush, while maintaining approximately 13,000 services a day across the network.
The first official practice day at The Open is Sunday, with the four-day championship teeing-off on Thursday.
About 300 Translink workers are in the union, which issued a warning last month that events such as The Open could be impacted if members take industrial action due to no settlement having been agreed.
A Translink spokesperson said: 'We continue to engage with our trade union TSSA to reach an agreement that will not impact passenger services.'
'The union and Translink are still in negotiations in the hope a resolution can still be found ahead of next week's tournament.
'Thousands of golf fans are expected to travel from the Republic of Ireland, with the more frequent train service to and from Dublin making transportation to and from the venue easier.'
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