Taoiseach slams CIE unions' 'no fares' protest

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has criticised CIE unions and workers for embarking on their "no fares" protest today.

Workers in Bus Eireann, Iarnrod Eireann and Dublin Bus are refusing to collect fares from passengers in protest at Government plans to break up CIE and privatise 25% of Dublin Bus services.

Speaking ahead of talks with the social partners this morning, Mr Ahern claimed that the protest was a breach of the Sustaining Progress agreement.

He claimed that all industrial action was a breach of the partnership deal and also rejected union claims that the "no fares" tactic was an intelligent form of protest.

"If people in the semi-state sector, and particularly the CIE people, believe that forgoing the fares for the day to damage the company is actually helping jobs, that's a new kind of economics and I think they're wrong," he said.