Support for workers fighting plans to outsource hundreds of jobs at Irish Ferries was spreading across all sectors today with teachers’ and transport unions backing a national day of protest.

THE Western Rail Corridor is to become a reality under the Government’s 10 year transport plan.

AN estimated 2,000 Cork morning commuters were bussed to work yesterday after unofficial action by some Irish Rail staff at Kent Station.

The General Secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union Liam Tobin has given a cautious welcome to the appointment of Martin Cullen as Minister for Transport.

FINE GAEL called on Transport Minister Seamus Brennan yesterday to end the confusion and publish all his proposals for bringing competition into the Dublin bus market.

UNION leaders said yesterday that the threatened one-day bus and rail strikes due to start next week were likely to be averted.

Union spokesman Liam Tobin has said his members will not accept any move by the Government move to licence private operators at the expense of Dublin Bus.

ALL bus and rail services nationwide will grind to a halt in 10 days after drivers yesterday voted overwhelmingly in favour of a series of rolling strike actions.

Commuters faced the prospect of crippling bus and rail stoppages tonight after one of the largest public transport unions voted to begin strike action

BUS and rail services could grind to a halt within two weeks if, a series of strikes are announced today.

A bus drivers’ union today demanded to know why independent radio stations had been blocked from carrying reports on its strike threat.

NATIONWIDE bus and rail strikes are almost an inevitability the National Bus and Railworkers' Union (NBRU) warned last night.

Drivers' representatives tonight pulled out of talks with the Government over the future of Dublin Bus.

CIÉ unions and the Department of Transport are meeting at the Labour Relations Commission today for talks on the future of the public transport company.

There's no sign of union comradeship over next week's planned 24-hour transport strike.

The National Bus and Railworkers Union responded to the Tanaiste's criticism by insisting their actions were a protest against privatisation and not change.

Widespread disruption was expected on public transport today as union members staged a four-hour strike across Ireland.

COMMUTERS face rail and bus chaos on Monday when public transport workers step up their battle with Transport Minister Seamus Brennan over his plan to break up CIÉ.

Commuters face another day of industrial action on Monday as the National Bus and Railworkers' Union has decided to hold a day of protest with full strike action penciled in for Monday February 23.

Transport unions were meeting today to decide whether to take strike action over plans to break up the Irish state-owned bus and rail company CIÉ.

THE threat of crippling strike action at CIE receded last night as Transport Minister Séamus Brennan bowed to union pressure.

THE PROSPECT of a crippling strike action by CIÉ increased further yesterday after Transport Minister Seamus Brennan failed to deliver a promised response to union concerns.

LAST-DITCH efforts to diffuse hostilities between Transport Minister Seamus Brennan and CIÉ unions begin this morning as talks aimed at avoiding crippling transport strikes get under way.

THE CIE group of unions are expected to give the go-ahead for industrial action today which will cripple rail and bus services within a fortnight.

The National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) has withdrawn from talks with the Department of Transport, while SIPTU, the country’s largest union, has indicated that industrial action at Coras Iompar Éireann (CIÉ) is inevitable.

Commuters across Ireland are likely to face disruption to bus and train services within two weeks, trade union leaders warned today.

THE prospect of a series of crippling rail and bus strikes moved a step closer last night as the National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU) said it was prepared to step up its action to protect CIÉ members.

The National Bus and Workers Union met this afternoon to consider resuming the protest against the planned break up of CIE.

Officials from the National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU) are due to meet later today to discuss the possibility of reinstating their campaign of action against the proposed break-up of CIÉ.

Travel chaos is looming for public transport users in coming weeks as the row over the break-up of CIÉ intensifies.

TRANSPORT unions have warned they will bring bus and rail services to a standstill in weeks if the Government presses ahead with plans to break up CIÉ.

CIE unions last agreed to defer a planned series of damaging one-day strikes over the next three months after a meeting with the Department of Transport.

CIE UNIONS are to seek assurances from the Department of Transport that their concerns over the break-up of the company will be taken seriously by the Government.

Unions at CIE are declaring today's no-fares protest a success despite heavy criticism from the main political parties.

Workers in Bus Eireann, Iarnrod Eireann and Dublin Bus are refusing to collect fares from passengers today as part of their campaign against the Government's plans to break up CIE and privatise 25% of Dublin Bus services.

RAIL and bus passengers won’t have to pay any fares on Friday because of a row between CIÉ and Transport Minister Séamus Brennan.

The National Bus and Railworkers Union has claimed that the Government's plan to model Dublin's bus system on that currently in operation in London will lead to nothing but disaster.

CIE UNIONS yesterday agreed a series of strike actions commencing next month as they intensified their battle over Transport Minister Séamus Brennan’s plans to break up the company.

Unions representing workers at CIE have agreed a campaign of industrial action to oppose the Government's plans to break up the company and privatise 25% of Dublin Bus routes.

RANDOM drug and alcohol testing for rail drivers is to be introduced by Transport Minister Seamus Brennan in a bid to improve rail safety.

The largest union in Dublin Bus, the NBRU, are to ballot members for industrial action next week.

The public transport network will grind to a halt again at the end of the month.

TRANSPORT workers have threatened to embark on a new series of strikes in protest over Government plans to break up CIE.