Belfast bus drivers' wildcat strike continues

A lightning strike by Belfast bus drivers is continuing after they rejected management proposals aimed at ending the two-day dispute.

Unions representing the drivers said after a meeting with Translink chiefs that not enough had been done to protect the Citybus workforce from attack.

Increasing violence against drivers in recent weeks has led to the withdrawal of services from parts of Belfast.

The unofficial walk-out, which began without warning yesterday, has caused chaos in the city centre - with hundreds of bargain-hunters left stranded as they attempt to get to and from the sales.

Translink head of marketing Ciaran Rogan said the strike had now spread to some Ulsterbus services on the Falls Road in west Belfast and the Lisburn Road in south Belfast.

After this morning's meeting, unions said they had put a number of proposals to the company and were awaiting a reply.

Earlier, Mr Rogan said the company had provided counselling services for drivers who had suffered attacks. "It is always going to be a very difficult issue on an individual basis, and I think it behoves us all to be very sensitive to people's needs.

"Having said that, there are a lot of passengers out there this morning who are experiencing difficulties themselves. This is unofficial action and it really helps no one," he said.

But John Coffey, of the Transport and General Workers' Union, said: "There are certain incidents in which drivers feel they were let down by the company due to a lack of compassion. We have to get that back on track."

In an effort to combat the attacks, Translink has introduced a number of security measures, including shatter-resistant windscreens and CCTV cameras.