The National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU) says it is willing to stall a ballot for industrial action as a vehicle to discuss the ongoing pay row with management at Irish Rail.

However, the union’s General Secretary Dermot O’Leary made clear he was not in a position to dictate to members in the ongoing dispute.

The NBRU say they “would have no objection in principle” to pay talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) with the company.

Iarnrod Eireann today urged the NBRU to withdraw its proposal to ballot for industrial action and proposed that all the issues be addressed at the WRC.

General Secretary of the NBRU, Dermot O’Leary, said: “Irish Rail have to-date frustrated their own staff’s request to discuss fundamental issues associated with ceasing the ongoing pay cuts along with discussing long overdue pay rises.

“We have long held the view that the company’s financial position is in a far better space than it was at the time of the pay cut imposition.”

The company today said it has continued to engage with the WRC and Labour Court processes, despite withdrawals by some trade unions.

Mr O’Leary said: “However while the NBRU would have no objection in principle to accepting a WRC request to park our ballot for industrial action as a vehicle to getting both parties to discuss all of the issues around pay, we are not in a position to dictate to members as to their individual decision making process on issues pertaining to their own particular grades.

“We have demonstrated our willingness to discuss the much heralded 10-minute Dart service as part of these proposed talks.

“It’s high time that Irish Rail reciprocated by agreeing without preconditions to discuss our members issues.”