Brennan aims to avert series of CIÉ strikes

TRANSPORT Minister Séamus Brennan is expected to contact union leaders today in an effort to avert a series of strikes over his plans to dismantle CIÉ and open up Dublin Bus routes to competition.

Speaking after crunch talks yesterday with the CIÉ unions, described by both sides as "tough and tense", Mr Brennan said he had agreed to consider appointing an independent facilitator to chair the crucial upcoming discussions.

Emerging from two-and-a-half hours of talks at Government Buildings, the minister admitted the situation was a difficult one and the parties had not reached final agreement.

He told journalists that all sides had agreed to concentrate on a tight time-scale of negotiations to see if issues surrounding the proposals for the future of CIÉ could be resolved.

Both SIPTU and the National Bus and Railworkers' Union have balloted for industrial action over Mr Brennan's plans to dismantle CIÉ and open up 25% of Dublin Bus routes to competition.

Mr Brennan said the unions fully understood the Government's policy in regard to opening the public transport markets and he fully understood the concerns of workers. Over the next couple of days, both sides would see if they could move the matter forward.

Yesterday's meeting was held under the threat of further industrial unrest. Last week, services in the capital were disrupted by unofficial action by Dublin Bus drivers. Mr Brennan is expected to deliver clarification of his proposals before the SIPTU strike committees of Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus and Iarnród Éireann meet at noon today to plan their next move.

After yesterday's meeting, which he described as "useful," ICTU general secretary David Begg said the key obstacle that remained between the sides was how the opening of the transport markets could be achieved.

He said the unions had put forward their positions and the minister had undertaken to respond within 24 hours.

SIPTU branch secretary Tony Tobin emerged from the meeting feeling industrial action was "very likely". He entered the talks, warning that the unions would oppose the franchising out of any existing CIÉ bus or rail routes.

"The mood of our members is absolute anger in relation to their jobs," said Mr Tobin, as he went into the meeting. "They will fight for their jobs; there cannot be any franchising out of our members' jobs. That's our position; that's our bottom line."

However, Mr Brennan sought to allay the fears of the bus workers. Far from losing jobs, he stressed, growth in the bus market would increase jobs in the sector.

"If we come at this properly, we should be able to grow the market," he said. "All the evidence at the moment is that the bus market, in Dublin and around the country, is growing dramatically. And, in the context of that growth, I am happy we can allow for new entrants to that market. At the end of the day, my only agenda here is to allow new entrants to enter a market and provide more and more services to the public. I see no reason why the State bus companies can't have a very good future."

Talks between Mr Brennan's Department of Transport and SIPTU's Aer Rianta representatives are due to be announced early next week after strike action at the country's three main airports was averted over the proposed break-up of the airport authority.

Mr Brennan promised that current terms and conditions enjoyed by the State employees would be maintained without any mandatory redundancies when the authority was broken up.