Union pulls out of Dublin Bus talks

Drivers' representatives tonight pulled out of talks with the Government over the future of Dublin Bus.

The National Bus and Rail Union accused the Department of Transport of failing to honour a commitment to give a definitive response to the CIÉ unions on their concerns about plans to break up the company.

The unions are opposed to Transport Minister Seamus Brennan’s plans to break up CIÉ and privatise up to 25% of Dublin Bus’s existing routes in the capital.

Union General Secretary Liam Tobin said the NBRU executive would hold a special meeting on Saturday to decide whether it would have any future involvement in talks.

“The department has failed to provide us with their definitive response on the future of Dublin Bus that they promised today,” he said.

“This is the third time they have failed to meet their own deadlines and we are now being told that no date can be given because the minister is still discussing the issues with his cabinet colleagues.

“Meanwhile, more and more licences are being issued to private operators, including multinational companies such as First Group.

“Some of our members in Bus Éireann are being told they may be made redundant as a result.

“We entered these talks in good faith and for a time they appeared to be productive, but we are beginning to wonder seriously if we are being strung along while Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus are quietly dismembered. The situation is now quite critical.”

Mr Tobin said the NBRU had been told last month that they would be given a definitive response today on the future of Dublin Bus.

“When we met officials we were told, ‘Sorry, but the minister has not decided what his response will be’,” he said.

“When we asked them for a new date we were told they were not in a position to give us one.

“Given what has been happening with Bus Éireann we feel we have little choice but to call a special meeting of our national executive as soon as possible and decide our next course of action.

“Why the minister needs to consult his cabinet colleagues is a bit of a mystery to us as the Government’s transport policy in the bus sector is not in dispute.

“If the minister wants to do something useful, quickly, he could tighten up the scandalously lax way in which private bus licences are being issued.

“There is no competitive tendering, no conditions imposed on licence holders regarding terms of employment for workers and no social service obligation,” he added.