Another day without buses and threat of five more strikes

The focus in the bus dispute has turned to avoiding five more planned strike days in the coming weeks.

Hundreds of thousands of passengers will be left without services again on Saturday, the second day of the strike at Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann which closed all routes on Friday.

The Government urged all parties to re-engage in talks, while chief executive of the Labour Relations Commission Kieran Mulvey said it was prepared to engage in intensive negotiations to prevent further industrial unrest.

There were no substantive efforts on Friday to resolve the dispute, which centres on plans by the National Transport Authority (NTA), backed by the Government, to put out to tender 10 per cent of routes operated by the two State-owned bus companies.

Legal proceedings

However, Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann initiated legal proceedings against the two unions in the dispute, the National Bus and Railworkers Union and

Siptu

, for financial losses arising from what they claim is an illegal strike.

The unions have rejected the allegations and argue that a legitimate trade dispute exists.

The bus companies believe the issues at the heart of the dispute are policy matters for the Government and the NTA and beyond their control.

They maintain they could lose €3 million as a result of this two-day strike and are suing to recoup their losses.

Asked why they had not sought a court injunction to prevent the strike going ahead if it was believed it was illegal, they said: “Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus wished to exhaust every avenue of talks and discussion, before embarking on a legal action as a last and final resort.”

Bus drivers are planning a stoppage from May 15th-16th and a strike from May 29th-31st.