Bus Eireann strike - services have resumed (Read first post)

the_syco

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

bk wrote: »

The Gardai should have been called and these gents removed from the public road and arrested if they didn't comply.

The Gardai were called, and left soon after while allowing the action continue.

I hope there is an inquiry on why the Gardaí didn't do their job of dispersing the strikers away from the privately operated bus, and discipline the offending Gardaí if their reason for doing so was not in the publics best interests, but in that of the strikers best interests?

KCAccidental

the_syco wrote: »

I hope there is an inquiry on why the Gardaí didn't do their job of dispersing the strikers away from the privately operated bus, and discipline the offending Gardaí if their reason for doing so was not in the publics best interests, but in that of the strikers best interests?

you're mad for the discipline!

just saw the video. certainly looks worse than the still photos I had seen earlier in the day. Unfortunately GoBE was always going to be a muddy issue in this action especially with a bus leaving from a bus eireann bus stop with small BE branding. Have to feel for the passengers on the bus.

Trampas

Normally my bus is usually half full but only 4 on it this morning but all working fine

Niles

Seems many people didn't hear about the strike suspension or had already made other arrangements. Travelling on the normally busy 7am Arklow-Dublin this morning and just 13 people on board.

kravmaga

Victor wrote: »

None of your business.

Moderator

Why you so angry?

Kumsheen

the_syco wrote: »

I hope there is an inquiry on why the Gardaí didn't do their job of dispersing the strikers away from the privately operated bus, and discipline the offending Gardaí if their reason for doing so was not in the publics best interests, but in that of the strikers best interests?

I wouldn't think there would be any inquiry. Over the years i notice that they are very reluctant to get involved when there are disputes. Remember the recent taxi protest up in Dublin airport, where taxi's were notified they were being moved out of "the kesh" holding area. Well they pretty much blocked road access into the airport in a slow protest, and hardly any attempt was made to move them on.
Passengers had to get out of their cars/busses and carry all their luggage from the main road to the terminal, many missed their flights.

devnull

The Garda will just say what happened when O'Connell Street was blocked by taximen who errected speakers and tables in the middle of O'Connell Street:

"Everyone has a right to protest"

listermint

devnull wrote: »

The Garda will just say what happened when O'Connell Street was blocked by taximen who errected speakers and tables in the middle of O'Connell Street:

"Everyone has a right to protest"

Unfortunately this doesnt involve the forceful eviction of the public from a private bus.

Sierra Oscar

listermint wrote: »

Unfortunately this doesnt involve the forceful eviction of the public from a private bus.

I don't think that was actually the case? The bus was prevented from picking up passengers, nearly certain that no one was 'evicted' as you seem to suggest.

homerjay2005

what exactly is the drivers problems anyway?

KERSPLAT!

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

I don't think that was actually the case? The bus was prevented from picking up passengers, nearly certain that no one was 'evicted' as you seem to suggest.

They wouldn't let the driver away until all passengers vacated the bus

Edit: so I've heard

Sierra Oscar

Princess Petulia Pissy Pants wrote: »

They wouldn't let the driver away until all passengers vacated the bus

Edit: so I've heard

Wasn't aware of that, I had thought it was just prevented from picking people up at the first stop. I can understand why some of those intending to travel were visibly upset then!

foggy_lad

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

I don't think that was actually the case? The bus was prevented from picking up passengers, nearly certain that no one was 'evicted' as you seem to suggest.

going by the video on rte news yesterday The bus was loaded and on the road but got blocked by bus eireann striking workers who told the driver they would let him leave but only with an empty bus.

bk

Interesting, GoBE is back to running normal service today, however they continue not to use the bus stations!

Sign that they expect the strike to resume? Or perhaps a break down in the relationship between GoBus and BE?

Also was there not a GoBE twitter and facebook accounts, I can't find them now!

To be honest, I think the GoBus service would do much better without BE involvement at all.

In case someone from GoBE is reading this, the message at the top of gobe.ie page doesn't mention the new stop location in Cork.

Also the news section on the gobus.ie site hasn't been updated yet with the news that the service is back up and running. The last article is from yesterday and says the service isn't running, so that may cause confusion.

bk

The RTE news piece clearly shows that uniformed employees * of BE surrounded a bus with passengers on board and would only leave the bus leave when the passengers got off.

I've heard elsewhere that video was taken showing these staff verbally abusing and threatening the passengers on the GoBE coach.

Absolutely awful carry on, total bully boy, thuggish and criminal actions, no excuse for it at all.

* Given they were in uniform and have shamed the company, they should really be fired for this.

listermint

bk wrote: »

The RTE news piece clearly shows that uniformed employees * of BE surrounded a bus with passengers on board and would only leave the bus leave when the passengers got off.

I've heard elsewhere that video was taken showing these staff verbally abusing and threatening the passengers on the GoBE coach.

Absolutely awful carry on, total bully boy, thuggish and criminal actions, no excuse for it at all.

* Given they were in uniform and have shamed the company, they should really be fired for this.

In a nut shell yes.

BenShermin

GoBÉ drivers were definitely intimidated yesterday by BÉ picketers. There's enough photographic evidence and video evidence on-line to support that fact. If I was a driver for GoBÉ I would be afraid to drive a bus next to near Parnell Place Station today after yesterday's antics.

zl1whqvjs75cdy

Well at least BE can make some immediate savings by sacking those thugs. Its a start.

ixoy

Cynthia Victorious Puppeteer wrote: »

Well at least BE can make some immediate savings by sacking those thugs. Its a start.

I imagine these employees are quite safe - with the unions in talks nobody would dare address this disgusting behaviour for fear the NRBU would walk out of talks. Not sure it'd be defensible but they'd no doubt try and spin it.

runawaybishop

cdebru wrote: »

Cuts to overtime rates and holidays are unreasonable when there is so much money being wasted and it is only focussed on the shift workers. Especially as I understand some overtime is built into shifts so it is effectively compulsary overtime.

Its not focused solely on the shift workers though. Clerical, administration and executive staff all were asked to work 39 instead of 36 hours as well as holidays for all being cut.

miller50841 wrote: »

Yes I did and noticed a lot of the stuff been put out there and all the rumours that drivers are on such high inflated wages is a joke.
Even talking about longer hours where that is for clerical staff working 36 up to 39hours.

There are a lot of areas to save money as in start interlinking with the trains and bring fares down so to get more to travel.
The tax rebate on fuel was scrapped.
Cut down the number of journey's off peak that aren't carrying.
Overall the complete system needs an overhaul as it's set back in the 60s-70s.
Including the payment system set up for paying for free travel which is under estimated.
Try and get the bus times/timetables to run smoother or give better running time.

I could keep going on.

Yes, yet wages are 60% of this failing companies costs. They need to be addressed as recommended by the independent labour relations boards. Many of the recommendations are common sense - who works a 36 hour week and who gets lunch money in this day and age

devnull

The Unions are not that confident it seems:
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/union-we-have-no-cost-saving-measures-for-bus-eireann-594348.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Seedy Arling

Varadkar seems to be dancing around the issue. It seems he is only the Minister for Transport when it suits him.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/varadkar-i-told-bus-eireann-not-to-press-ahead-with-cost-cutting-29265627.html

Speaking on his way into the cabinet meeting this morning, Mr Varadkar said he asked the company “some weeks ago” to delay changing workers terms and conditions as part of moves to save €5m a year

“It’s not the case that I made any instruction to the company in recent weeks. I’m the Minister for Transport but Bus Eireann is a company in its own right. It has its own board, its own chief executive, and they are the ones who run the company. And they have my full support in the efforts that they are making to save the company.”

TINA1984

I'm not defending the BE Strikers here by any means but I presume the reason they picketed the GOBE bus was because it was using BE Bus Stops at Merchants Quay.

As such it would have made no difference in picketing terms to have a GOBE bus departing from the bus station itself as it would have from the Merchants Quay stops?

BE & GOBE should probably have put a little more thought into re-locating the service, then again maybe they knew exactly what they were doing

Padraig Mor

TINA1984 wrote: »

I'm not defending the BE Strikers here by any means but I presume the reason they picketed the GOBE bus was because it was using BE Bus Stops at Merchants Quay.

As such it would have made no difference in picketing terms to have a GOBE bus departing from the bus station itself as it would have from the Merchants Quay stops?

BE & GOBE should probably have put a little more thought into re-locating the service, then again maybe they knew exactly what they were doing

The video on the news is on MacCurtain Street.

the_syco

KCAccidental wrote: »

you're mad for the discipline!

Mainly because the Gardaí have an attitude that they won't stop anyone creating hassle when under the banner of "striking".

Going forward, if anyone creates a disturbance under the banner of "striking" (ie; creating chaos far from their place of work), they should be charged. Otherwise, the next strike would see them blocking more than just the GoBus.

bk

It isn't very clear from the gobe.ie site which bus stop they are now using in Cork.

The message at the top of the site doesn't mention the stop location in Cork, but does mention it for Dublin.

Further down the page on the schedule, they mention Patricks Quay in Cork as the stop, which would be the Aircoach/Citylink stop.

Can anyone confirm this is the stop they are using now?

Mrs OBumble

bk wrote: »

Also was there not a GoBE twitter and facebook accounts, I can't find them now!

On Twitter, at least, I think they just used the GoBus one.

KCAccidental

bk wrote: »

It isn't very clear from the gobe.ie site which bus stop they are now using in Cork.

The message at the top of the site doesn't mention the stop location in Cork, but does mention it for Dublin.

Further down the page on the schedule, they mention Patricks Quay in Cork as the stop, which would be the Aircoach/Citylink stop.

Can anyone confirm this is the stop they are using now?

if that's the case then they have changed from yesterday where they were using BE city bus stops on Merchant's quay. Probably should have gone from Patricks Quay in the first place not to risk passing a picket so to speak.

to clear up what happened yesterday from the video and earlier photographs... BE drivers had picketed GoBE buses at the merchants quay stop, despite this it looks like one GoBE bus was able to depart before being stopped on Macurtain st. This is where the more regrettable action occured.

to be clear.. there was a picket on Merchants Quay as well./\

KCAccidental

the_syco wrote: »

Going forward, if anyone creates a disturbance under the banner of "striking" (ie; creating chaos far from their place of work), they should be charged. Otherwise, the next strike would see them blocking more than just the GoBus.

tbf other private services weren't using BE bus stops to depart from, so I'd imagine there would be no action against them. Not excusing the action on Macurtain st though.

Mrs OBumble

Vic_08 wrote: »

It's likely a fair number of drivers (and other staff) on early duties will not find out about the resumption in time. Not everyone would still be up after 11 reading rte.ie. Also with other grades also out I doubt a full roster is in place for tomorrow, this would normally be compiled by lunchtime the previous day.

We will all be back in as soon as possible but passengers should expect that not everything will run as normal particularly early AM.

I understand the problem.

But ...

If the union has the communications mechanisms in place to tell drivers to turn up for picket lines and not work, then I'd expect them to use the same mechanisms to tell the lads to go to work!