Bus and rail strike averted as airport chaos looms

AER RIANTA workers are expected to give the go-ahead today for stoppages at Ireland’s three airports that will scuttle the visits of officials and ministers during our EU presidency.

But strike action on bus and rail services was temporarily averted yesterday after the CIÉ group of unions accepted an invitation to meet Transport Minister Seamus Brennan in a bid to resolve a row over the future of the company.

The CIÉ unions stressed they were doing this reluctantly, given the history of similar invitations and insisted that their mandate for industrial action remains very much alive.

Aer Rianta and CIÉ workers are concerned about Mr Brennan’s plans to break up their companies and insist he has not given them a commitment on job security and pension rights.

Talks between SIPTU’s Aer Rianta negotiators and the Department of Transport broke up on Wednesday night after the unions walked out, claiming they had secured no assurances on job security, pensions and future plans for the company.

“Aer Rianta workers are angry at the failure of talks secure any firm commitments from the Minister and they will consider some form of industrial action on Friday,” SIPTU’s Aer Rianta branch secretary Dermot O’Loughlin said.

It is expected that SIPTU’s Aer Rianta industrial action committee will recommend a series of two-hour stoppages on the days that top EU officials and ministers are due to visit.

Meanwhile, the CIÉ unions are expected to meet Mr Brennan next week in a bid to avert further bus and train strikes.

SIPTU national industrial secretary Michael Halpenny said that given the potential seriousness of the disruption to public transport, the unions owed it to the public to explore all avenues to resolve their differences.

CIE unions walked out of talks with Dept of Transport officials earlier this week because they claimed Mr Brennan had undermined them by making media statements about the CIE break-up and the privatisation of 25% of Dublin Bus.

Mr Brennan welcomed the CIÉ unions’ decision and said he looked forward to moving the process forward.