Labour Court to host Dublin Bus talks

Striking drivers from Harristown Dublin Bus depot demonstrate outside Dublin Bus headquarters on O'Connell Street yesterday

Striking drivers from Harristown Dublin Bus depot demonstrate outside Dublin Bus headquarters on O'Connell Street yesterday. Photograph: Matt Kavanagh

The Labour Court has invited Dublin Bus management and unions to attend talks this weekend in a bid to end the dispute that has caused widespread disruption for tens of thousands of commuters.

Dublin Bus and Siptu have confirmed they will take part in the talks on Saturday.

Both sides met with Labour Court chairman Kevin Duffy separately yesterday.

It is understood that Mr Duffy warned the two unions - Siptu and the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) - that any escalation of the dispute to involve Dublin Bus garages other than Harristown would make an intervention by the court more difficult.

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A Siptu spokesman said tonight the union would abide by the court's requirement that there be no escalation of the dispute before the talks are held.

The dispute - which affects around 60,000 commuters - centres around new rosters for drivers assigned to operate two new cross-city routes which the company wants to introduce. Drivers are also opposed to new scheduling that means they will have to start, break and finish work in the city centre.

More than 100 drivers at the Harristown garage in north Dublin

began industrial action on Monday after a female driver, who refused to drive a bus on one of the new routes, was suspended by Dublin Bus management.

The main areas affected are Finglas, Swords, Ballymun, Blanchardstown, Donabate, Portrane, Dunboyne, Littlepace, Tyrrelstown, Damastown, Portmarnock, Kinsealy and Kilmore.

The following routes have no service: 4, 13, 13a, 17a, 27b, 27c, 33b, 37x, 39x, 39b, 40, 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, 40n, 70x, 83, 102, 105, 127, 129, 142, 230, 237, 238, 239.

The following routes have a limited service: 27x, 37, 38/a, 38c, 39, 41, 41c, 41x, 43, 70/a, 270.