NBRU: We did not know about plans for secondary pickets

The National Bus and Railworkers Union has said it did not know about the plans for secondary pickets at Irish Rail and Dublin Bus depots by Bus Éireann staff this morning.

The vast majority of Irish Rail, Dart and Dublin Bus services are cancelled this morning as staff in these companies, which are not in dispute, refused to cross the secondary pickets.

The secondary pickets were placed by striking Bus Éireann staff on the eighth day of their industrial action and almost no notice was given.

NBRU general secretary Dermot O'Leary told RTÉ's Morning Ireland said the first he heard of the secondary picketing was when he began receiving phone calls early this morning.

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“I do not condone any secondary picketing and urge the picketers to return to work.”

He said the only dispute his members had was with Bus Éireann and that it was frustrating that this unauthorised action was happening.

“Nobody told me anything,” he said.

Mr O’Leary said he was trying to establish who is involved in the secondary picketing.

He said to the best of his knowledge no union was involved in organising the action, certainly not his members and he doubted SIPTU was involved.

“Secondary picketing must be moved and people should go to work.” He also added that he had been warning for weeks “that this could happen”.

“The people - whoever they are - I am not directly linked to them. My representatives are trying to encourage people to go to work.”

Mr O’Leary said the union was not in dispute with Irish Rail or Dublin Bus and the only mandate he had was in relation to Bus Éireann.

“My priority is that the people who work at Bus Éireann are treated fairly - that needs to be resolved.”