Bus drivers stand firm over strike
Thousands of bus passengers will be left without transport over one of the busiest bank holiday weekends this year as drivers remain committed to a “rolling strike”.
Trade unions representing embattled Dublin Bus workers warned their strike from midnight on Saturday will continue until the company reverses controversial pay cut plans.
As Dublin Bus insisted it has no choice but to introduce €11.7m worth of cost-saving measures, a spokesman for the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) said “enough is enough”.
“Unless the company reverses its position in relation to the implementation of these unfair measures, we will go ahead with this strike,” the spokesman said.
“It is public who are going to lose out, which is unfortunate. But we will continue this rolling strike until Dublin Bus changes its position.”
Thousands travelling from the Oxygen music festival in Co Kildare, which will take place from Friday to Monday, could be left without transport.
Meanwhile, organisers of The Gathering Ireland have predicted the busiest weekend of the year for family and community events.
Around 87 separate gatherings are planned across the country with a huge portion of those happening in the capital.
The NBRU and Siptu unions served strike notice on Dublin Bus earlier this week.
The struggling bus company is to implement a cost recovery plan from Sunday, which was drafted up following a series of recommendations from the Labour Court.
In a statement, Dublin Bus insisted the plan is “critical” to achieve the €11.7m necessary to bring it back to financial stability.
Around two-thirds of that portion – €7.7m – will come from direct payroll costs, and the remaining €4m from efficiency and productivity savings.
Union members rejected the plans in a number of recent ballots, despite talks between company bosses and workers across all grades.
The NBRU has claimed that members had already “suffered enough” from cost-saving measures implemented in 2009.
“Some lost out on hundreds of euro and they have all lost out on overtime,” the spokesman added.
“They have already sacrificed enough and we’re now saying enough is enough.
“The main reasons for the company’s problems are not at our drivers’ door. There’s been a reduction in subvention, a reduction in revenue, and a fuel price increase. But our members are now being asked to subsidise public transport.”
Dublin Bus insisted it has “no option but to proceed” with its plans to implement the Labour Court’s recommendations.
