Commuters face bus chaos after strike vote
Bus Éireann is seeking €11m in savings in operational measures and €9m from payroll. The company said it would force through the cost-cutting measures from Sunday, despite warnings from unions.
The restructuring plan includes:
* reducing overtime rates from 1.5-1.25 times
* increasing the working week for clerical and executive staff from 36 to 39 hours
* reducing annual leave by three days this year and in 2014 and 2015
* a one-third cut in other allowances and expenses.
Bus Éireann has around 2,500 staff, with about two-thirds employed as drivers. It claims it will lose €16m this year unless it cuts costs. According to the company, the average take- home pay of a driver with overtime, premium payments and expenses is €42,000.
The National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU), which represents 1,100 workers, has confirmed it had put Bus Éireann on notice of industrial action.
General secretary Michael Faherty said it was “an absolute certainty” his members would not operate under the new conditions.
He said Bus Éireann had walked away from talks and was unilaterally imposing a pay cut. “To impose conditions without first exhausting the established normal industrial relations process is regrettable and the company have questions to answer in this regard,” he said.
The result of a Siptu ballot on industrial action is due on Thursday.
Under industrial relations rules, the union must give at least one week’s notice for industrial action, while the company said it had an in-house agreement for 30-day notice.
Bus Éireann warned its financial crisis would deepen if drivers followed through with industrial action.
Spokesperson Andrew McLindon confirmed the company would have contingency plans in place if action went ahead.
“It is critical for our customers that the NBRU inform the company of what industrial action they are planning to take and when,” he said.
Transport Minister Leo Varadkar said the dispute was a matter for Bus Éireann.
The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) said almost three-quarters of its 200 Bus Éireann members backed action.
Jim Fitzpatrick, organiser with the NBRU in Dublin, called for a meeting ofall unions to co-ordinate action in the coming weeks.
“Our members’ mandate is overwhelming. They are saying no to the management’s letter of Dec 14 and are willing to take action to defend their jobs and current working conditions,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.
