Bus union chief warns of potential all-out transport strike

A protest by striking Bus Éireann staff is being held outside Leinster House in Dublin.

It is being held to coincide with the appearance of Minister for Transport Shane Ross at the Oireachtas transport committee, where he is scheduled to give a presentation on Bus Éireann.

About 2,600 employees at Bus Éireann have been on strike since last Friday in a dispute over plans by management to introduce new cost-saving efficiency measures and work practice changes without agreement.

Earlier, Dermot O'Leary , the general secretary of the National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU), said the Government and CIÉ are running the risk of bringing the entire transport network to a halt. He told Newstalk Breakfast that when a dispute starts there is no strategy and that it can take on a momentum of its own.

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“It is very difficult to hold the line,” he said.

“Come this weekend if this dispute is on, it will be even more difficult.”

Mr O'Leary said that the NBRU is available if asked back to talks in the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

He said that the legacy of Minister for Transport Shane Ross would be “step aside” not Stepaside (a reference to the Minister’s commitment to the re-opening of Stepaside Garda station in his constituency).

“He cannot continue to abdicate his responsibilities,” he said.

Wednesday protest

While Dublin Bus and Iarnród Éireann services are operating as normal on Wednesday morning, informed sources close to the Bus Éireann dispute believe that some Dublin Bus and Iarnród Éireann employees will stop work to take part in the demonstration.

Mr Ross will again insist he will not intervene in the current dispute, but will tell the committee that he would give a commitment to carry out a review of public transport policy which would allow for an in-depth consideration of all relevant issues facing the future of the sector.

He will say that he is prepared to meet interested parties, including trade unions, about public transport policy issues that are of concern.

“However any such discussions, in whatever form they take, cannot take place during an industrial relations dispute or when a strike is being threatened.”

The Minister will rule out “ dictating to management and unions about their internal issues”.

He will say he will not get involved in discussions about how the company organises itself and will argue that “these are areas for agreement between management and unions”.