Commuters face disruption over bus drivers’ strike
The drivers claim they are sitting in the staff canteen while private operators are drafted in to do their job.
Bus users in and out of the city will be faced with massive disruption to services from Monday when Bus Éireann drivers begin a day of official industrial action.
Both SIPTU and the National Bus and Rail Union have served official strike notice to management following meetings with the Labour Relations Commission.
Union and management bosses were in talks all day yesterday in an effort to strike a resolution. But a source close to the dispute told the Waterford Today newspaper yesterday that one of the major stumbling blocks for drivers is the fact private operators have been drafted in for national routes, while official Bus Éireann drivers allegedly sit in the canteen every day with no buses to drive.
“The private operators were only supposed to be used if there was an overflow of passengers on routes. Now they’re being drafted in to do the standard services, while up to four drivers at a time sit in the canteen with no buses to drive,” the source said.
“It costs €440 per day per bus and the Bus Éireann drivers are also being paid for not driving.”
City centre service buses that break down can also take weeks on end to be repaired, the source added.
“Two weeks ago there were 11 buses broken down in the garage on the one day and last week this number was only down to seven.
“This means that city services can’t run on their normal schedules. The system of having parts brought to Waterford is so hierarchical that to order something as simple as a light bulb for a bus involves 21 people.”
City councillor John Halligan said: “There’re some serious questions that need to be answered.”
A Bus Éireann spokesperson said all relevant management members were at a meeting yesterday and were not available for comment or to confirm if the industrial action will go ahead on Monday.
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