Crisis talks bid to halt transport strike chaos

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 tense nature of today's discussions which take place just days after an unofficial stoppage of Dublin Bus drivers disrupted services is heightened by the fact that the SIPTU strike committees of Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus and Iarnród Éireann have already arranged to meet tomorrow to plan their next move.

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

Both unions still have a valid mandate for strike going into today's talks should attempts at a peace formula collapse.

A spokesman for Mr Brennan was reluctant to comment in advance of today's negotiations given the anger that previous comments to the media by Mr Brennan generated.

Both SIPTU and the NBRU have repeatedly accused Mr Brennan of undermining previous discussions and inflaming the dispute by making public remarks on the difficulties between the two sides.

However, SIPTU's Dublin Bus and railway branch secretary, Tony Tobin, set the tone for today's talks last night when he vowed the union would not allow any privatisation of CIE's services.

"Our position is clear. All services operated by any of the three companies are untouchable.

"They cannot be franchised or privatised. That is the bottom line. That is clearly our position and that will remain our position," he said.

"It is all down to what discussion the minister wants to talk to us about. Should the minister proceed with the measures he has announced, we will resist him with whatever means necessary," Mr Tobin continued.

NBRU general secretary Liam Tobin said he was not positive about today's talks either. "There is nothing positive at this point in time. We will go and we will give it our best but we won't be duped again," he said.

Mr Tobin said even a guarantee of job security similar to that promised to Aer Rianta staff would be meaningless. "It's not possible to give that guarantee because if you hand over to a private operator you can't guarantee anybody anything."

Only the introduction of a third party to engage as an intermediary between the two sides would see today's talks continue, said Mr Tobin.

SIPTU national industrial secretary Noel Dowling said the void in trust between both sides was a difficult barrier to overcome.

"That's going to be difficult to mend," he said, adding that an independent chair may be acceptable to the unions as a means for continuing talks.

"We're looking for an indication that the minister is prepared to consider any other views than his own.

"We have other ideas and we will discuss them with anybody who wants to listen."

Meanwhile, talks between the Department and SIPTU's Aer Rianta representatives are due to be announced early next week.

Strike action at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports was narrowly avoided last week after SIPTU agreed to re-enter talks when Mr Brennan promised current terms and conditions would be maintained without any mandatory redundancies during the break-up of Aer Rianta.