Dublin Bus strike: Unions to consider escalation

Trade unions representing staff at Dublin Bus will consider escalating the current strike at a meeting next week if there is no progress towards a resolution of the dispute.

About 400,000 people will again have their travel plans disrupted on Friday as bus workers stage a second work stoppage in a dispute with the company over pay.

Two more strikes are already scheduled for Thursday and Friday of next week, with two more planned for Friday 23th and Saturday 24th of September.

There are no indications at present of any further talks aimed at finding a resolution.

Trade unions Siptu and the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) both warned of potential escalation of the dispute if no progress was made in the coming days.

Siptu divisional organiser Owen Reidy said on Thursday that if there was no movement from the company and no negotiations under way, his union would have to put forward for consideration a mandate it had from members for moving to an all-out strike.

Dermot O’Leary said the group of unions at Dublin Bus would meet next Thursday to assess their plans after the first wave of stoppages.

“Obviously part of that consideration will be to ask whether at that point - after two days of strikes and into a third day - do we need to escalate.”

‘Last resort’

“But people have to get to work and schools and colleges and certainly the NBRU would be bringing a view to the table that escalation should be the last resort.

"However if [Minister for Transport] Shane Ross, the Government and the company continue to ignore us, the pressure will come on us from our members to escalate."

Mr Ross did not comment on the Dublin Bus strike on Thursday.

The trade union Unite, which represents craft workers at Dublin Bus, called on the Minister to intervene in the dispute.

Unite regional officer Willie Quigley said the dispute had its roots in "persistent underfunding" of Dublin Bus by successive governments.

“Dublin Bus provides a vital public service, yet we have one of the lowest levels of state support for public transport in the EU,” he said.

“In Dublin, the public subvention makes up just 20 per cent of public transport revenue, compared with over 50 per cent in many other European cities.

“This persistent underfunding has resulted in low wage levels for workers and low service levels for users.”

Dublin Bus said it was disappointed the strikes were going ahead and that its customers were being significantly discommoded.

"After 13 months of negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court and a Labour Court recommendation, the trade unions have rejected a pay increase of 8.25 per cent (over three years ) for all employees," the company said.

“Dublin Bus remains available for talks but advises that any pay increase over and above the 8.25 percent recommended by the Labour Court must be done on the basis of productivity.”

Unions are seeking pay increases of 15 per cent over three years as well as payment of a 6 per cent rise dating back to a national wage deal in 2008.

The NBRU is also seeking pay parity with Luas drivers which would involve increases of up to 31 per cent.