Wage Increase and Bonus for Luas Staff

dfbemt

Read this and couldn't believe it.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1203/luas.html

Passenger numbers are falling, this company has less income coming in.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1118/luas.html
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/25m-fewer-people-take-luas-1775737.html

How is this possible?

afatbollix

Its a private company.... Why the **** should you care????

mikemac

Private company, they can do what they like.

From what I read in the article they are getting 6% less from Railway Procurement Agency so this wage hike isn't being passed onto the RPA.

Non-story realy, the company executives know the figures and made a decision

dfbemt

mikemac wrote: »

Private company, they can do what they like.

From what I read in the article they are getting 6% less from Railway Procurement Agency so this wage hike isn't being passed onto the RPA.

Non-story realy, the company executives know the figures and made a decision

I think this is fairly important for a number of reasons

- hefty increase considering the reduction in the CPI
- ability to strike. Should the LUAS be considered an essential service. (80,000 passengers daily approx rely on it for transport)
- increase sends out all the wrong signals in current climate
- could lead to increased fares so bad for public
- €750 payment, for what exactly ?

Dannyboy83

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1203/luas.html

It will be getting 6% less from the Rail Procurement Agency next year because its fee is linked to the Consumer Price Index.
Mr Brennan also said that contracts for new lines to the Docklands, Cherrywood and Citywest due to open over the next two years were won on less favourable terms compared to existing lines.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0713/luas.html

The Luas light rail system in Dublin made a profit last year of €5.6m, according to the Railway Procurement Agency's annual report.
This is well up on the €200,000 surplus recorded in 2005.
The agency said the money would be reinvested in the Luas lines, which carried 26m passengers last year, up from 22m the previous year.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/25m-fewer-people-take-luas-1775737.html

A total of 28 million passengers used the Luas last year.
Mr Allen added: "Passenger numbers are down quite a lot because people aren't going out at night or going shopping."

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1118/luas.html

He also said that 'a lot of people' now have criminal convictions after being brought to court for not paying the Luas fare of €1.45. He said he was puzzled why people do not just pay the fare.

Never seen the thing myself, but from what i heard from friends, a lot of the people not paying are just going to court anyway.

Rb

As othes have said, it's a private company that operate the LUAS here and they do a pretty damn good job of it too, so it's not really any of your business what they do, or do not do, with their money.

Admittedly I am quite surprised that the drivers basic is so much though, considering the job could be done by a ten year old with experience in driving model trains.

ardmacha

There has been much comment about the wages of some public sector workers, yet the scale for nurses starts below that for a tram driver. Is this the situation in the other European countries with which PS wages are compared?

Scofflaw

Rb wrote: »

As othes have said, it's a private company that operate the LUAS here and they do a pretty damn good job of it too, so it's not really any of your business what they do, or do not do, with their money.

Admittedly I am quite surprised that the drivers basic is so much though, considering the job could be done by a ten year old with experience in driving model trains.

To be fair, a ten-year old with experience in driving model trains would probably cause rather a lot of casualties if allowed to drive the LUAS.

cordially,
Scofflaw

dvpower

ardmacha wrote: »

There has been much comment about the wages of some public sector workers, yet the scale for nurses starts below that for a tram driver. Is this the situation in the other European countries with which PS wages are compared?

Why are we comparing a nurse's wages to a train driver? Sure if the nurses wanted to they could have applied for jobs driving trains etc etc...

dfbemt

Rb wrote: »

As othes have said, it's a private company that operate the LUAS here and they do a pretty damn good job of it too, so it's not really any of your business what they do, or do not do, with their money.

I disagree. This is a state asset, paid for by taxpayers money but franchised out to be operated by a private business. They must report to the Rail Procurement Agency who in turn pay them an annual fee for running the service. This fee is taxpayers money hence Joe Public's right to know what goes on.

Rb wrote: »

Admittedly I am quite surprised that the drivers basic is so much though, considering the job could be done by a ten year old with experience in driving model trains.

I doubt that a 10 year old could do the job (we have labour laws against this thing ) but it does appear to be a bit on the high side. I'm sure there are allowances payable for weekends, etc.

Really though, is this a time for wage increases and increased bonuses. A 6.25% bonus on basic is an extra €2,000 per annum :eek:

TJJP

Have the public sector no shame! Unbelivable. With all that's going on, and then this.

Rb

dfbemt wrote: »

I disagree. This is a state asset, paid for by taxpayers money but franchised out to be operated by a private business. They must report to the Rail Procurement Agency who in turn pay them an annual fee for running the service. This fee is taxpayers money hence Joe Public's right to know what goes on.

I doubt that a 10 year old could do the job (we have labour laws against this thing ) but it does appear to be a bit on the high side. I'm sure there are allowances payable for weekends, etc.

Really though, is this a time for wage increases and increased bonuses. A 6.25% bonus on basic is an extra €2,000 per annum :eek:

Then surely people should be more disturbed by this franchising of a state asset than what they do with their own staff?

Personally I don't believe tram drivers should be paid that much, but that's neither here nor there. I've sat behind the drivers on the LUAS many times and the only hurdle they face in their job is falling asleep due to the sheer boredom, there's very little involved. How it demands €35k p/a is beyond me and if it were paid for by the taxpayer I'd be absolutely outraged, however as it is I think it's fairly null.

ghost_ie

TJJP wrote: »

Have the public sector no shame! Unbelivable. With all that's going on, and then this.

What have the public sector got to do with Luas?

mikemac

ghost_ie wrote: »

What have the public sector got to do with Luas?

I believe it was meant as a sarcastic post, the post was edited immediately afterwards.

Joke was missed on you though

TJJP

afatbollix wrote: »

Its a private company.... Why the **** should you care????

Dead right, I like you (I presume) just jump on and never pay. It's a bit like a the TV licence and RTE or the M50 toll (remember that, I drive on the verge), we've paid once so why pay again. They can charge what they like in my view. If you don't like it, walk. We'll still vote you back in though 'cause it isn't your or my responsibility and they are private companies after all.

dfbemt

TJJP wrote: »

Dead right, I like you (I presume) just jump on and never pay. It's a bit like a the TV licence and RTE or the M50 toll (remember that, I drive on the verge), we've paid once so why pay again. They can charge what they like in my view. If you don't like it, walk. We'll still vote you back in though 'cause it isn't your or my responsibility and they are private companies after all.

I'm not really sure what you are trying to say? Drive on verge? Vote you back in?

The thread is about the Luas wage increase and annual bonus. I am amazed that this has been given.

Opinions on this please, as it is subsidised by tax payers money.

seangal

They are on a better deal than the public sector and they have lost 50% of the people that travelled with them but will the media Bash them????

marco_polo

seangal wrote: »

They are on a better deal than the public sector and they have lost 50% of the people that travelled with them but will the media Bash them????

50%?

marco_polo

dfbemt wrote: »

I'm not really sure what you are trying to say? Drive on verge? Vote you back in?

The thread is about the Luas wage increase and annual bonus. I am amazed that this has been given.

Opinions on this please, as it is subsidised by tax payers money.

It is not though as it is essentially what is a flat fee operating contract (linked to the CPI). It is being subsidised by Veolia profit margins. Since the fees is being cut by 6.5% I would like to see your figures on how much this is going to cost the tax payers?

Like every other company in the state if they are paying their employees too much to sustain then they will go bust.

rasper

Rb wrote: »

Then surely people should be more disturbed by this franchising of a state asset than what they do with their own staff?

Personally I don't believe tram drivers should be paid that much, but that's neither here nor there. I've sat behind the drivers on the LUAS many times and the only hurdle they face in their job is falling asleep due to the sheer boredom, there's very little involved. How it demands €35k p/a is beyond me and if it were paid for by the taxpayer I'd be absolutely outraged, however as it is I think it's fairly null.

Surely these drivers are also FRONTLINE workers, dealing with the public keeping Dublin moving and getting them home safe

dan_d

RPA is semi state. They operate the Luas don't they?
Wouldn't worry. Unlikely to last long, particuarly since they're opening the new Luas line to the Point next way, and a further extension in the near future on the southside. More drivers - more money. It'll hit them too eventually.