THE THREAT of industrial action at Bus Éireann from next week has been averted following the intervention of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).
The strike, which could have affected up to 70,000 passengers daily, centred on proposals by management to introduce a controversial new cost-containment programme without agreement.
Bus Éireann said that it had accepted an invitation from the LRC to attend a meeting next week to facilitate negotiations on its cost-saving programme.
The company said that it would be deferring the implementation of its cost-saving programme, which it had planned to introduce from next week, pending the outcome of the new talks.
The general secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU), Michael Faherty told The Irish Times that his union had put off the planned industrial action to allow for the new talks at the LRC to take place. In a statement yesterday NBRU assistant general secretary Dermot O’Leary welcomed the LRC’s intervention.
He also rejected a claim made by management earlier this week that the NBRU had not balloted its members properly. “We made it quite clear that we were reactivating a mandate already secured in a secret ballot of our members when the company first announced it was going to unilaterally introduce the change plan.
“If anyone is outside procedures it is Bus Éireann for breaking off discussions arranged for last week where issues raised by the NBRU were to be addressed”, he said.
Mr O’Leary said that the fundamental issue at stake was that there had to be full consultation and negotiation on changes on the scale proposed by the company. These include plans to lay off 320 staff, including 220 drivers, as well the scrapping or reduction in frequency on about 50 routes.
“Fortunately the LRC intervention and the company’s belated acceptance of the need to abide by procedures has avoided what would be a very serious dispute,” he said. Direct talks between management and unions over the cost-containment programme broke down a week ago. Bus Éireann said in a statement that it was facing a very serious and challenging financial position that needed to be addressed urgently.
