THE Minister for Transport has urged CIE and its unions to make immediate use of the State's industrial relations machinery to avert a national transport strike next month.
Mr Lowry was commenting yesterday after the High Court ruled on proposed changes in Bus Eireann work practices. Mr Justice Kelly upheld the right of Bus Eireann to make the proposed changes, which had faced a legal challenge from the National Bus and Rail Union.
After the action, the NBRU general secretary, Mr Peter Bunting, defended the union's decision to take the case. He said if it had not done so CIE unions and management would have been involved in a strike from October 14th last.
The action had been necessary because Bus Eireann had tried unilaterally to introduce changes in work practices. Those changes would now be subject to negotiation and consultation.
The SIPTU branch secretary for CIE drivers, Mr Ken Fleming, said that he was "deeply disappointed and concerned. The trade union movement could have done without this judgment."
A Bus Eireann spokesman said the company was studying the judgment. It intended seeking meetings with the unions as quickly as possible to negotiate implementation of its £6 million viability plan.
Mr Lowry said both sides should "map out a framework for progress in talks, with a firm deadline for agreeing a solution. It is essential that meaningful reductions are made in CIE's cost base."
He warned both sides that CIE's key markets were already attracting the attention of powerful private sector operators. They should agree to implement the viability plans for the three CIE companies by March 31st, the company's preferred deadline.
However, he did not appear to endorse the company decision to withhold the latest pay rise under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work to its employees until the unions agreed to the viability plans.
The unions are threatening strike action from December 6th if the money, due to most of their members since October 1st, is not paid immediately.
The Labour Court has been asked by the CIE group of unions to hear its case for payment of the 2.5 per cent PCW increase. But the Labour Court has a heavy workload and is unlikely to be able to hear the case before the end of next week at the earliest.
Bus Eireann drivers can expect to work longer hours for less money under the viability plan. The company says the changes are necessary to cut £2.5 million off the drivers' wages bill.