[Article] NBRU wants reform of private bus licensing

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0611/cie.html

NBRU wants reform of private bus licensing
11 June 2004 17:10

The National Bus and Railworkers' Union has called on the Minister for Transport, Seamus Brennan, to reform the private bus licensing system.

The union executive meets tomorrow morning to decide whether to take industrial action over the department's granting of licences to a private operator while talks on the future of CIÉ were still continuing.

At present, private operators can apply for and acquire bus route licences without competitive tendering for €7.62.

The union has described the system as grossly unfair, and has called on the minister to introduce a new statutory instrument to regularise the system. It wants any new system to require tendering, realistic licence fees, and to allow licences to be refused where Bus Éireann or Dublin Bus already provides a service.

The NBRU also wants to make it a condition that workers should have decent pay conditions and the right to union representation.

The union has also written to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. It is objecting to the BCI's instruction to independent radio stations yesterday not to broadcast the union's statement on its dispute with the minister over private bus licences in light of today's elections.

The union wants to know who asked the BCI to intervene, and described the action as a gross infringement of civil liberties and tantamount to a gagging order.

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Industrial action likely over private bus services, says union
From:ireland.com
Friday, 11th June, 2004

A "long hot summer" for the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, was threatened yesterday in the form of industrial action by bus and rail workers.

The National Bus and Rail Union said action was "almost inevitable" following a decision by the Minister to issue two new licences for private bus services in Dublin. The union had announced earlier this week that it was reviewing its continued involvement in negotiations with the Department of Transport on a planned shake-up of bus services.

Mr Brennan wants to introduce increased competition from private bus operators, in Dublin and elsewhere.

The NBRU, however, claimed the Department had failed to produce definitive proposals this week as had been agreed. In the meantime, it said, the Department was proceeding with the issuing of licences to private companies competing with Bus Éireann, thereby placing members' jobs under threat. It said its executive committee would meet tomorrow to decide whether to remain in talks with the Department.

The row worsened yesterday when the union said it had learned that two new licences had been issued for services in Dublin. One is to run from the city centre to the CityWest business park, and the other from Sydney Parade DART station, also to CityWest.

Mr Liam Tobin, the union's general secretary, accused Mr Brennan of allowing private companies to "cherry-pick" profitable routes. He said the new services would operate at peak times only and would be "jam-packed", while off-peak travellers would continue to have to rely on Dublin Bus. "If this is not cherry-picking, I do not know what is."

As a result of the development, the union's executive would have "few options" when it met tomorrow, he said.

"As we've said before, it looks as if Mr Brennan may get the long hot summer he has been yearning for since April 2003."

A spokesman for the Minister said the two licences, both issued to Morton's Coaches, were "very restricted", allowing pick-ups at either end only, and did not compete with any existing services.

The Department was obliged under law, he added, to process licence applications within a limited time frame. Reforming that law was among the objectives of the current talks with unions.

Unions at CIÉ already have a mandate to strike, following ballots in favour of industrial action. Implementation of a strike had been put on hold to allow talks with the Department to take place.

Talks on a new national pay deal, meanwhile, continued at Government Buildings yesterday.

Government, employer and union representatives are attempting to reach agreement on pay rates for the remaining 18 months of the three-year Sustaining Progress partnership programme. It is understood that discussions yesterday focused on a range of pay-related issues, such as pensions, and that the talks today will return to the central matter of pay.

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0612/nbru.html

NBRU to ballot members on strike
12 June 2004 21:44

Commuters could be facing transport disruption during the summer months after a decision by the National Bus and Railworkers' Union to ballot its members for full industrial action.

The move is the latest in a dispute with the Government over the future of CIÉ and the licensing of private bus operators.

The decision was taken after a three-hour meeting of the union's national executive in Dublin.

The ballot will take place over the next three weeks and rolling industrial action could begin in early July.

The NBRU has more than 3,500 members and is the dominant union in Dublin Bus.

The union walked out of talks with the Department of Transport last Thursday, claiming the Department did not have definitive proposals for the restructuring of CIÉ.

The union also announced its strong opposition to what it calls the 'cherry-picking' of routes by coach operators as part of the privatisation of the company.

The Minister for Transport, Seamus Brennan, plans to increase competition among private bus operators in Dublin.

However, the recent issuing of two licences for services to run from the city centre to the CityWest business park, and from Sydney Parade DART station also to CityWest, has been strongly opposed by the union.

The other main union in CIÉ, SIPTU is expected to consider its position early next week.

Victor

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Bus, rail staff likely to ballot on strike action
From:ireland.com
Saturday, 12th June, 2004

Bus and rail workers are likely to begin balloting on a proposed strike next week, following a union meeting today.

A decision to hold the ballot is expected at a meeting of the executive of the National Bus and Rail Union in Dublin. If the ballot goes ahead, it could result in industrial action by workers in CIÉ in about three weeks.

In the meantime, however, the union could decide to continue exploring the possibility of a resolution of its ongoing row with the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, over the future of public transport.

Unions in CIÉ are opposed to Mr Brennan's plans to break up the company and give private operators control of up to 25 per cent of the Dublin bus market.

They are also concerned about the increasing number of licences being given to private companies operating outside Dublin.

The argument between the two intensified this week when the NBRU said it was reviewing its continued participation in talks with the Department of Transport.

It accused Mr Brennan of failing to honour a commitment to provide definitive proposals on the future of the Dublin bus market by an agreed deadline.

In a further twist on Thursday, the union said it had learned of the issuing of two new private bus licences in Dublin, making industrial action "almost inevitable".

If the union's executive decides to pursue that course today, a ballot of members in Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus and Iarnród Éireann would take about two weeks. A further week's strike notice would then have to be issued before industrial action could be implemented.

In the meantime, the union intends to report back to the chairman of the talks taking place with the Department of Transport, Mr Kevin Foley of the Labour Relations Commission.

It remains to be seen whether Mr Foley would be prepared to continue the talks while a strike ballot was taking place.

If discussions did continue, the three-week "breathing space" before industrial action took place might prove sufficient for the Department to provide the proposals on the Dublin bus market which were expected this week.

In a related development, the NBRU complained to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) yesterday over "an instruction" to independent radio stations not to carry the union's statement on Thursday, in which it announced that a strike was likely.

A BCI spokesman said there had been no blanket ban on coverage of the strike threat. He said one station had submitted a script and the BCI had decided that the script would breach the ban on election-related material on the day prior to polling.

Talks on a new national pay deal, meanwhile, adjourned last night with progress reported to be slow.

A Government spokesman said a "considerable gap" remained between the sides, and the talks at Government Buildings would resume today.

Employer, union and Government representatives are hoping to reach agreement by early next week on an 18-month deal to cover the remaining half of the Sustaining Progress partnership programme.

Victor

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CIE refusal 'forced route sale'
From:The Irish Independent
Saturday, 12th June, 2004

THE controversial new bus routes which have caused a rift between Dublin Bus and the Government fell into private hands because Dublin Bus declined to offer the full services demanded by businesses in the area, it emerged last night.

Union leaders had walked out of talks with the Department of Transport on Thursday, when they claimed permitting a private company to run the services from Dublin city centre to the CityWest business campus in Saggart was a threat to jobs.

Morton's Coaches was awarded a licence to provide services from Sydney Parade and Westmoreland Street to CityWest business campus.

But it emerged last night that the management company behind CityWest had asked CIE for further services to the business park but Dublin Bus did not supply the level of services sought by campus.

Late last year it contracted Morton's to supply a service from Dublin city centre to the business campus. Morton's was only able to provide the service with a subsidy from the management of CityWest.

Recently the private bus company applied to the Department of Transport of a public service licence, which was granted last week.

Its managing director, Paul Morton said that at a meeting with management of CityWest business campus, he was told that CIE had declined to provide the full services which the management had sought.

However, a spokesperson for Dublin Bus said that in 1999 the company had met with developers and had increased its services following a detailed analysis.

Meanwhile, the National Bus and Rail Union executive which is threatening strike action over the issue is to meet this morning to discuss a series of public transport strikes, writes Gerald Flynn. The union has repeatedly threatened strikes over the past year over the restructuring of CIE, but has so far only engaged in a one day "no fares" day protest last summer.

The rival SIPTU bus and rail branch committees will meet on Monday to review the past five weeks of discussions with Department of Transport officials on the issue. For the past year there has been a competitive militancy between the rival CIE unions, but it is now clear that SIPTU will not engage in any strike action. Sources familiar with the talks noted that the Department of Transport is giving priority to getting the legislation to break-up Aer Rianta through before finalising proposals on franchised bus routes in Dublin.

It appears Transport Minister Seamus Brennan has backed away from his demand for one-quarter of the capital's bus services being in private hands by the end of this year.

Instead he seems prepared to accept a much less radical formula, which would allow "real market entry" without any specific percentage target.

David Murphy Deputy Business Editor

Victor

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Transport workers to ballot for strike action
From:ireland.com
Saturday, 12th June, 2004

The threat of public transport disruption over the summer is looming after the executive of the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) today decided to ballot members for strike action.

NBRU general secretary Mr Liam Tobin emerged after a meeting of the executive this afternoon saying a strategy of rolling one-day strikes leading to all-out strike would be pursued if the members vote in favour of industrial action.

Mr Tobin placed the blame firmly with the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, expressing particular concern about the recent issuing of licences to private operators on Dublin Bus routes.

"The Department cannot give us a definitive answer to when they can respond to our concerns over the future of Dublin Bus and the other CIE companies.

"In the circumstances our own talks could go on indefinitely. Meanwhile they have told us they will continue to issue licences to private operators; that will completely undermine our two publicly owned transport companies," Mr Tobin said.

"It is envisaged that a series of roll over strikes will take place leading ultimately to an all-out strike.

All the signals this week pointed to todya's decision. Relations between the unions and the Government over plans to restructure both CIE and Aer Rianta have been extremely strained, and further tension emerged when radio stations were restricted reporting on industrial unrest.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) imposed the restrictions on the 48 independent radio stations it regulates following representations from the Fianna Fáil press office.

SIPTU's opposition to decentralsiation and the NBRU strike-threat were among the stories clamped down on by the BCI.

There has also been considerable anger about public comments made by both Mr Brennan and the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, about the break-up of both companies.

Victor

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/06/14/story152286.html

SIPTU reinstates strike threat
14/06/2004 - 15:38:09

SIPTU’s civil aviation branch has threatened to reinstate its threat of industrial action at Ireland’s three main airports if the Government does not hold meaningful talks about the planned break-up of Aer Rianta.

The union said today it appeared the Government was reneging on its commitment to negotiate and consult with Aer Rianta workers before introducing legislation to break up the company.

The cabinet is expected to approve this legislation tomorrow.

Speaking after a meeting in Dublin today, SIPTU’s civil aviation branch said industrial action would be inevitable if the Government failed to honour its commitment to meaningful talks.

Victor

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CIE union decides to go ahead with strike ballot
From:ireland.com
Monday, 14th June, 2004

Public transport users face the threat of serious disruption this summer following the decision of the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) to proceed with a strike ballot.

The other main CIÉ union, SIPTU, which has yet to take a position on the NBRU strike threat, meets today to review developments.

Industrial action by either union would shut down services, as members of each traditionally support actions taken by the other.

At a meeting of its executive committee on Saturday, the NBRU decided to ballot members on industrial action over the next three weeks.

It would be at least a month, however, before services were disrupted as a week's strike notice would be served on completion of the ballot.

Even at that stage a total shutdown of services would be unlikely.

"It is envisaged that a series of roll-over strikes will take place, leading ultimately to an all-out strike," said the union's general secretary, Mr Liam Tobin.

Unions in CIÉ are opposed to plans by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, to hand over up to 25 per cent of the Dublin bus market to private operators.

Since March they have been engaged in talks with his Department, chaired by Mr Kevin Foley, of the Labour Relations Commission.

The NBRU strike threat followed a decision by the Department to award licences to a private operator, Morton's Coaches, for two new services to the CityWest business campus.

Mr Tobin, speaking after Saturday's meeting, said Mr Brennan was "effectively privatising the network route by route while we talk".

The Department, he said, had been unable to provide a definitive answer as to when it could respond to the unions' concerns over the future of Dublin Bus and the other CIÉ companies.

"They have told us that they intend to deal with Aer Rianta first. In the circumstances our own talks could go on indefinitely. Meanwhile they have told us they will continue to issue licences to private operators."

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Bus union to hold strike ballot in route licence row
From:The Irish Independent
Monday, 14th June, 2004




THE main bus workers' union has decided to ballot its 3,000 members for industrial action in its latest protest about the issuing of bus licences on two new routes in Dublin.

The National Bus and Rail Union executive met on Saturday and decided to hold a union ballot over the next three weeks.

Given the union's recent record of abandoning strike threats, passengers may face only sporadic disruption at most.

The union maintains that Transport Minister Seamus Brennan need not issue operating licences to private companies while talks are under way over the restructuring of bus services.

The minister has countered that under the 1932 Public Transport Act, legitimate applications for licences must be granted. Many of the licences issued have not led to the promised services and the NBRU fears they will be sold on to larger overseas transport companies.

NBRU general secretary Liam Tobin said after Saturday's special meeting of the union executive that the minister for transport's policy of continuing to issue licences under a discredited system left his members with little choice.

"The department cannot give us a definitive answer to when they can respond to our concerns over the future of Dublin Bus and the other CIE companies. They have told us they intend to deal with Aer Rianta first.

"Meanwhile, they have told us they will continue to issue licences to private operators; that will completely undermine our two publicly owned transport companies.

"We are going to ballot members over the next three weeks. It is envisaged that a series of rollover strikes will take place leading ultimately to an all-out strike," Mr Tobin added.

This is similar to threats made last year which resulted in a single 'no-fares' protest with little, if any, service disruption.

Gerald Flynn Industrial Correspondent

Victor

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CIE unions in bid to resolve private bus licences row
From:ireland.com
Tuesday, 15th June, 2004

Unions in CIÉ are to meet officials from the licensing section of the Department of Transport in a bid to resolve the row over the issuing of licences to private bus operators.

The National Bus and Rail Union, however, is to go ahead with its ballot for industrial action in Iarnród Éireann, Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann.

The offer of talks with licensing officials was made by the Department yesterday during discussions at the Labour Relations Commission.

Unions are opposed to plans by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, to hand over up to 25 per cent of the Dublin bus market to competition from private operators. They are also concerned about increasing competition on countrywide routes serviced by Bus Éireann.

They claim Mr Brennan is, in effect, pushing his reforms through without agreement by issuing licences to private operators while talks with the unions are continuing.

The Department, however, says it is obliged under law to deal with licence applications within a specified time frame.

Mr Brendan Hayes, vice-president of SIPTU, said unions would be able to test that assertion at their meeting with licensing officials, which would take place within the next couple of days.

In the meantime, SIPTU was not proposing industrial action.

"At the moment we are engaged in a talks process and we want to bring that to as speedy a conclusion as we possibly can." The picture would become clearer after the meeting with the Department's licensing section.

Mr Liam Tobin, general secretary of the NBRU, said his union would attend the meeting. "It's something we have been looking for for some time. One of the things we want to find out is how many licences have been issued?

"At present we have a situation where national and multinational companies can buy a licence privately, without competitive tendering, for €7.62 and convert it into an asset worth hundreds of thousands of euro in a matter of months," he said.

Mr Tobin said further talks with the Department would not take place until it had prepared a definitive response to unions' concerns on the future of Dublin Bus.

The chairman of the talks, Mr Kevin Foley of the LRC, was to contact the unions when that response was available, he said.

In the meantime, his union would proceed with its strike ballot, which could see public transport being disrupted in about a month.

Another CIÉ union also threatened industrial action yesterday over the continued issuing of private licences.

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association said a meeting of its Irish committee would take place in the coming days, and it would not rule out balloting its members for action. Meanwhile, the Irish Aviation Authority is to hold a meeting tomorrow with the Aviation Technical Officers' Association, which is currently holding a strike ballot.

Its members monitor and maintain air traffic systems controlling Irish airspace. The ATOA claims the authority has unilaterally reduced senior engineering posts by two-thirds.