Arrogant Brennan responsible if bus & rail workers strike

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Transport Seán Crowe TD has said the Transport Minister Séamus Brennan will be "wholly responsible for the loss of service" if CIE workers go ahead with a threatened strike this week. He described the Minister's attitude to recent talks to settle the dispute as arrogant and "incredibly destructive" in terms of labour relations.

"Séamus Brennan's statement that he will press ahead with his plans to break up CIE while negotiations with unions representing the workers at the company are still ongoing smacks not only of gross arrogance on behalf of the Minister but shows an incredibly destructive attitude towards labour relations," said Crowe.

"The unions at CIE have been engaged in what they thought were meaningful discussions aimed are resolving the dispute between both sides. For the Minister to undermine these very talks shows that he has no interest in reaching a resolution. It is obvious that he is more interested in playing the hard man with both the unions and the workers they represent.

"If the workers go on strike this week and withdraw their labour then it is the Minister who will have been wholly responsible for the loss of service to the commuting public.

"Sinn Féin will fully support the workers in whatever action they deem necessary to force the Minister to pull back from the confrontational and high-handed approach he has adopted and we will continue to oppose the breakup of the CIE group."