BE restructure and cuts

Cookie_Monster

Surprised no thread as yet on this but fresh on the heals of IE's announcement follows BE's restructuring plans:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/bus-eireann-staff-face-pay-cuts-and-job-losses-if-they-dont-accept-restructuring-3130956.html

BUS Eireann’s 2,500 staff face pay cuts and job losses if they do not accept cuts to their overtime, holidays and sick leave.

The company has announced a plan to slash €20m from its costs each year and ensure it is profitable again by next year.

It aims to save €9m by changing employees' existing terms and conditions.

Among the proposals are cuts to their overtime, holidays, premium payments, expenses and sick leave and an increase in the working week

Career breaks will also be offered to staff under the five-year plan, which still has to be negotiated with unions.

However, Bus Eireann has set a deadline of August 13 for the talks.

The semi-state company said it faces potential annual losses of €16m due to a 20pc fall in customer numbers, cuts in state subsidies, increased competition and a €4m hike in fuel costs.

all very vague still from that though...

LXFlyer

Well it is a report from the Indo - what did you expect?

Cookie_Monster

lxflyer wrote: »

Well it is a report from the Indo - what did you expect?

yeah true, a quick search of rte earlier yielded nothing though

ax586

Dublin bus is next

doubletrouble?

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

yeah true, a quick search of rte earlier yielded nothing though

try this cookie.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0606/bus-eireann-seeks-20m-in-savings.html

SMASH THE UNIONS

These days there are plenty of private bus companies providing intercity services, often faster and cheaper than Bus Eireann. (Air Coach, GoBus, Matthews Coaches etc) Maybe it's time Bus Eireann cut back to town services only? Otherwise these pay cut announcements will only become more common. The company is bleeding money and the tax payer cannot support the burden any longer. Condolences to any staff who have recently lost their job.

robd

ax586 wrote: »

Dublin bus is next

Thought they already had under

Network Cuts Direct

Trampas

My route the bus runs every 30mins during the day and to be honest there is no need for it.

I believe every hour would be enough.

Having a handful of people on a bus middle of the day is a waste of money.

foggy_lad

The waterford timetable was changed last year and it now stops at red cow luas stop which is a waste but it also runs more or less empty at 3am and 5am from waterford even though JJ Kavanaghs have a long running competing service, while at peak times dring the day there are 3hour gaps between services and the last bus from waterford is a miserably early 7pm!

on the 120 service to Edenderry/Tullamore there are is an hourly service throughout the day which is great but hardly needs the double deck coaches at off peak times but to add more waste there are extra buses laid on going to Prosperous leaving dublin at 10am and to Clane only at 11am 12pm 1pm and 3pm.

most of the high frequency commuter services have low numbers at off pak times and coud really be cut back.

A small bit of thought and less computerised management might save some money and jobs!

dowlingm

SMASH THE UNIONS wrote: »

Maybe it's time Bus Eireann cut back to town services only?

The ones Aircoach is abandoning because they aren't profitable? How is BE supposed to make a profit when leaner private companies don't?

devnull

dowlingm wrote: »

The ones Aircoach is abandoning because they aren't profitable? How is BE supposed to make a profit when leaner private companies don't?

Many of the commuter services, and virtually all of the Town/City services for Bus Eireann are funded to a large degree by the taxpayer including the cost ov vehicles, staff and insurance. Only the Intercity and so called Expressway routes are funded by the company itself.

The private services are fully self funded so that effects the balance somewhat in that it's not sensible business tactics to go for such market when you are competing against taxpayer funded vehicles and staff and routes as it is very hard to win when you don't have the security of the fact you will never be allowed to go bust.

If Bus Eireann got an express license on the Cork route, they may well be unable to sustain 6 services a day from each direction in Dublin to Cork as well, it has been clear for some time that Dublin to Cork before the express was about 70% end to end passengers and 30% Town's. Together they made non express services profitable, but once you strip the express passengers out there is nowhere near enough demand for 14 intermediate services a day. (8 Aircoach and 6 Bus Eireann).

As has been pointed out before, look at the Town's on the Cork to Dublin stopping route, they're very small Town's and villages as a whole, the Galway to Dublin stopping services has a much larger population on the route.

SMASH THE UNIONS

dowlingm wrote: »

The ones Aircoach is abandoning because they aren't profitable? How is BE supposed to make a profit when leaner private companies don't?

I think you misunderstood me. By "town services" I mean the local bus services within towns, provided by Bus Eireann e.g. within Cork City. There is little or no competition on these routes.

devnull

It would be hard for an independent to actually get a grip of Town services unless they were set out to tender London style, I know I would not really want to set up in such a market as pretty much all the lucrative routes are already gone by the state operators and obviously it's hard to compete with someone who is subsidized etc. If say there were 2-3 huge operators in Dublin controlling the stake that DB has now, it would be easier to worm a little way in.

I know you have City Direct in Galway and people like that, but the fact their vehicles are not exactly up to Bus Eireann standard gives me the impression that there is not a huge amount of money in the services, in particular when BE have vehicles funded by the state.