Ireland

Union complains over radio 'gagging order'

The National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) has complained to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) after the commission instructed…

Elaine Edwards
Fri Jun 11 2004 - 01:00

The National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) has complained to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) after the commission instructed independent radio stations not to carry a statement from the union yesterday.

Mr Liam Tobin, general secretary of the NBRU, has written to the chief executive of the BCI, Mr Michael O'Keeffe, on the matter, claiming the action amounted to "a gagging order".

M r Tobin asked the BCI to identify the person who complained about the use of the NBRU statement and why the union was not informed of a decision which, he said, impacts directly on the organisation, its members and on how it conducts its business.

"We feel that such actions constitute a gross infringement of civil liberties tantamount to a gagging order. We trust our complaint will be dealt with as speedily as that referred to you yesterday," Mr Tobin wrote.

It emerged yesterday that the BCI also forced some radio stations to drop coverage of SIPTU's opposition to the Government's decentralisation plan after complaints from Fianna Fáil. The moratorium on election coverage is imposed on stations 24 hours before an election.

The NBRU executive will meet tomorrow morning to discuss the option of strike action after the Department of Transport issued licences to two private bus firms to operate routes in Dublin. The union accused the Minister, Mr Brenna, of trying to privatise CIÉ "by stealth".

The Department insisted yesterday the Minister was obliged by law to consider such licence applications and to decide on them within a set timeframe.