Off the Rails - The Story of ILDA (Paperback)

The summer of 2000 was dominated by a three month lock out by Iarmrod Eireann, the national train service, of 118 of its drivers, over 40 per cent of the driving grade. The employees involved were all members of the Irish Locomotive Drivers' Association (ILDA), with whom the company was refusing to deal in its implementation of new work practices. Off the Rails outlines the reasons for ILDA forming and all aspects of the difficulties that followed. This includes their difficulties while still members of SIPTU, NBRU and ICTU; Iarnrod Eireann's High Court law suit against them and their Supreme Court Appeal. The story told is also a personal one, however, when Brendan Ogle went from being an anonymous train driver to being front page news. For many he was a figure responsible for creating chaos, while for others, his was simply an honest voice in a changing industrial relations world. The following people have said that they are willing to support the book: Vincent Browne, John Waters, Fergus Finlay, Don Mullan, Medb Ruane (Evening Herald),Philip Boucher-Hayes (RTE), Paddy Prendiville (Phoenix), Justine McCarthy (Irish Independent).