Dublin Bus drivers resume their rolling strike action today, with a three-day stoppage which will disrupt services for more than 200,000 commuters. It is thought unlikely that industrial action will spread to other CIE services before tomorrow morning.
At 11 a.m. today the National Bus and Railworkers Union is to hold a mass meeting at its premises in Parnell Square, Dublin. Its general secretary, Mr Peter Bunting, is expected to ask for volunteers to provide rushhour services to commuters. Talks on the subject with the company lasted just seven minutes yesterday and he is not expected to recommend an emergency service.
The mood of NBRU members may indicate if unofficial action is likely in Iarnrod Eireann and Bus Eireann. According to Mr Bunting, the services most vulnerable to wildcat action are the DART and city services in Cork, Limerick and Galway.
Last night he appeared to offer an olive branch to management. He said that if Dublin Bus matched £2 million in cost-saving efficiencies he had put on the table during last month's talks with a similar amount, it could provide the basis for renewed negotiations.
Last night the company's human resources manager, Mr Gerry Maguire, said: "We're prepared to talk night and day to resolve the dispute. We do recognise the NBRU has contributed, albeit mainly in past productivity, £1 million to £2 million in savings. Our proposals are not cast in stone but we must generate a lot more to pay their target of £330 a week.
"The company has no problem making an offer based on what he gave, but it would be nearer 2 1/2 to 3 per cent than the 20 per cent the NBRU is seeking," he said.
The Dublin Chamber of Commerce last night predicted that the three-day strike planned for this week would cost city businesses £6 million in lost revenue. It said lost productivity would be close to £15 million.
The chamber said member companies had stated that sales figures had been down between 10 and 20 per cent, with the higher figure in areas traditionally associated with lower-income shoppers.