Cool heads essential to avert chaos

IT is absolutely crucial for common sense to prevail in the bitter industrial relations row raging between Government and State employees who are set to stage a series of strikes that would cripple the country’s transport system.

Tens of thousands of commuters are holding their breath as last-ditch talks get underway today between Transport Minister Séamus Brennan and unions over plans to privatise Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus and to further break up the CIE conglomerate.

For the umpteenth time, the travelling public are being held to ransom in an industrial relations’ row that could and should have been sorted out long before now.