Transport Minister AWOL amid Dublin Bus strike dispute

DUBLIN BUS workers returned to the picket lines for a second day as a pay dispute between staff and management remains deadlocked. Four more days of strike action are planned for later this month.

Dermot O'Leary of the National Bus & Rail Union (NBRU) says his trade union is committed to finding a solution:

“The people are discommoded and obviously the people who drive the buses are in the same situation; they don’t want to be standing on picket lines this morning, they want to be driving their buses. The fact of the matter is that the Dublin Bus workers haven't got a pay rise for over eight years.”

He also hit out at Fine Gael for attempting to play workers off against each other:

“This happens all the time when workers put their heads above the parapet and strive to improve their lot, they are pitted against other workers such as nurses and gardaí – who rightly deserve pay increases too.”

Dermot O'Leary said the NBRU may consider an “all-out strike” but was clear that they would prefer not to have a prolonged dispute.

Various parties raised criticism of Transport Minister Shane Ross who appears to have little interest in resolving the dispute. Sinn Féin's Transport Spokesperson Imelda Munster TD said the Minster has “gone AWOL”:

“Where is he in all this? When is he going to intervene in an effort to resolve it?”

Speaking on RTÉ Prime Time,

Imelda Munster TD (pictured) said Dublin Bus workers had played their part in returning the company to profit, and that their strike is a last resort:

“The reality is Dublin Bus has returned to profit since 2014. Passenger numbers are up, revenue is up and fares are up – but the only people who haven't benefitted in all this are the workers. The workers haven't had a pay increase in 8 years despite being a 6% increase in 2009. They've also endured cost-cutting measures including a reduction in overtime and staff cuts, many drivers have to do 13-hour shifts. Nobody can say Dublin Bus workers have not genuinely contributed in returning Dublin Bus to profit.”

Fine Gael Councillor Paddy Smyth who complained about Government subvention of Dublin Bus and called for “competition” in the form of privatisation of bus routes. 

The Fine Gael councillor also accused workers of “holding this city to ransom”:

“We need to stop the cycle of just because a sector of workers goes on strike they automatically get a pay rise,” he said.

Responding to Smyth, Imelda Munster told viewers:

“You hear the same right-wing ideology spouted out every time a worker stands up for their rights. What Councillor Smyth said earlier is factually incorrect: In comparison to other European cities where Government subvention runs to 79% in Lyon or 61% in Barcelona, Dublin receives the least at just 27%.

She said increase subvention could actually be used to greatly improve Ireland's transport network:

“The problem is easily solved through increased subvention so we can expand the network. If there is profits to be made, then why shouldn't the state make those profits and reinvest them in our transport network?”