Unions prepared to take full strike action

SIPTU and the National Bus and Railworkers Union are due to begin a series of public meetings today outlining their opposition to the Government's plans to break up CIE and privatise 25% of Dublin Bus routes.

CIE workers embarked on a "no fares" protest last Friday and are due to mount a series of one-day stoppages in August, September and October to highlight their anger at the Government's plans.

Unions have also refused to rule out the possibility of all-out strike action if their concerns are not addressed.

Bill McCamley, a SIPTU worker-director at Dublin Bus, said he and his colleagues are prepared to negotiate for as long as it takes to secure agreement.

"If it ends up in a strike, it will be because of people having an ideological bent on these sort of things rather than a pragmatic one," he said.