Industrial unrest likely in the absence of guarantees to union
The dispute in May 2013 was over plans for €5m worth of cutbacks at Bus Éireann, with the company saying it faced annual losses of €11m. After protracted negotiations at the Labour Relations Commission, the unions managed to avert cuts to their core pay but did have to concede cuts to overtime rates, premium payments, and holiday entitlements.
The dust from the industrial unrest had barely settled when the National Transport Authority announced six months later that it was going to put 10% of the public service obligation (PSO) bus market in Ireland out to competitive tender, to commence operations in 2016.
