Thousands of Dublin Bus passengers face possible disruption of services from Monday as a result of a dispute involving drivers at the Harristown garage in north Dublin. Martin Wall, Industry Correspondent, reports.
Unions have warned of the possibility of serious industrial action at Harristown if the company presses ahead with plans to introduce two new routes without agreement.
The drivers are objecting to plans by the company to establish the new routes as this would involve them starting, finishing and taking breaks in the city centre rather than in the Harristown depot.
However, in a statement last night Dublin Bus said that it would introduce the two new routes as planned on Monday.
Dublin Bus said that it had been through a lengthy negotiation process with the trade unions over the past year in relation to the two new routes. It said that all the issues had been processed through the full industrial relations procedures of the State.
Buses based at Harristown include the routes 4, 13, 13A, 17A, 27B, 40, 83, 33B, 102, 230 and 238.
Two unions representing about 500 drivers at Harristown voted decisively yesterday in favour of industrial action.
Members of the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) voted by 68 per cent to 32 per cent in favour of industrial action up to full strike action, while Siptu members voted 59-41 per cent in favour. Both unions said that they were available for talks.
Siptu branch organiser Willie Noone called on Dublin Bus to refrain from introducing the new routes to allow for further talks.
Siptu members are to meet today to discuss options.
Siptu and the NBRU said that their members would refuse to operate the new routes if instructed by management on Monday morning.
NBRU general secretary Michael Faherty said that if members were suspended, full industrial action would be implemented.
The new routes planned by Dublin Bus will run from Ballymun to Blackrock and from Clongriffin to Rathmines.
The spokeswoman for Dublin Bus said the company was not asking the drivers concerned to work any longer hours.
She said that the company had an agreement with the unions going back more than 30 years which allowed starts, breaks and finishes to occur in the city centre or in a garage.
The unions have claimed that an agreement which allowed for the development of the garage at Harristown set out that all services based there would start, finish and break at the facility which includes a gym, restaurant and credit union offices. However, this deal was not written down and the company has maintained that no such terms were agreed.
The unions said that since its opening, drivers had developed a lifestyle that had evolved around the Harristown depot, as its location near the M50 and M1 allowed them to easily calculate the time needed to arrive and start at the garage.
Dublin Bus said that it was regrettable that the trade unions had advised industrial action, which had the potential to cause disruption to customers. It said the Labour Court last month had found the company's proposals were "fair and reasonable".
"In the interest of customers, the company must now proceed with the implementation of these service improvements. Dublin Bus would appeal to the trade unions and to all drivers . . . to work to bring in these much-needed service improvements and not to cause any unnecessary disruption to customers."