Unofficial Bus Eireann Strike Limerick

mikeybhoy · 01-10-2023 1:21pm #1

So it seems there's an unofficial strike involving Bus Eireann services in Limerick over a new unagreed roster being implemented on 360 drivers.

https://twitter.com/Buseireann/status/1708431424125120780?t=ItBNNgnyGSMGC4Z0JTOSEA&s=19

devnull · 01-10-2023 1:49pm

According to the Limerick Leader, Bus Eireann say the strike is due to the drivers refusing to operate new rosters which form part of a binding agreement made between the the company and trade unions.

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/1311722/breaking-strike-impacts-all-bus-eireann-services-in-limerick.html

The Company and Trade Unions were engaged for some time in a review of spare driver working arrangements to ensure we deliver reliable services and these drivers cover annual leave, sickness and other essential duties when there can be difficulties which can interrupt the normal flow of operations.

The review of working arrangements has been completed, having been conducted through an extensive process that was jointly agreed between the Company and Trade Unions, which was facilitated by the Workplace Relations Commission and experienced independent facilitators.

All parties agreed in advance that the determination of the assessors and the outcome of the review would be binding on all parties.

Following the issuing of the binding report the company is now proceeding with implementation of the report, in full, from today, October 1, 2023. This involves a company-wide implementation of a single set of spare driver working arrangements, which meet the criteria of fairness and equity for all our employees and aligned to a Labour Court Recommendation

Red Silurian · 01-10-2023 3:57pm

Can't say I've noticed any difference in the service levels to be honest

mikeybhoy · 01-10-2023 4:55pm

Edit: 360 drivers not drivers on route 360. Misread that apologies

breezy1985 · 01-10-2023 5:04pm

Must be the first time in history Bue Eireann actually announced a cancellation of a Limerick service.

Usually we are just left standing at the platform to guess.

ricimaki · 01-10-2023 5:16pm

Have the staff decided to strike without notifying the trade unions or giving the required notice to Bus Eireann?

01-10-2023 5:53pm

I was on a 304a to Raheen the other day, and at the Crescent the driver made everyone get off and onto the 304 directly behind saying he was being made to turn around.

As most people know, the 304 goes half way around the planet before coming back to get to Raheen whereas the 304a is direct.

I've zero sympathetic for Bus Eireann drivers in Limerick.

breezy1985 · 01-10-2023 6:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121181978#Comment_121181978

The "tower" that notifies BE about cancellations and are tasked with regulating the service are a heap of sht compared to the other cities.

Never really had a problem with the drivers themselves who have always been honest enough about any issues when asked.

Not sure what to think about this until we hear both sides but BE seem to think the new roster was a done deal.

end of the road · 01-10-2023 6:11pm

very clearly there is a huge failure here such that staff have felt they have no option but to go down this route.

hopefully the management and the workers can sort the issues out so that normal service can resume, obviously the rosters weren't fully sorted seeing as this action is happening.

mikeybhoy · 01-10-2023 6:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121181978#Comment_121181978

The driver is only doing what s/he is told by the controller.

Mrs OBumble · 01-10-2023 8:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121182038#Comment_121182038

The union would want to get their members back under control.

Red Silurian · 01-10-2023 9:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121182831#Comment_121182831

Limerick Leader reporting that the union agreed to the rosters so if true then yes definitely

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121181819#Comment_121181819

Quite possibly yes

end of the road · 01-10-2023 9:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121182831#Comment_121182831

no the rosters need to be sorted out properly so that the strike action can end.

nothing here is the fault of the unions and their members.

john boye · 01-10-2023 9:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121183032#Comment_121183032

Rosters have already been agreed by all parties.

end of the road · 01-10-2023 9:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121183077#Comment_121183077

well obviously not hence the action.

mikeybhoy · 01-10-2023 10:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121183077#Comment_121183077

Apparently the NBRU asked for the changes to be delayed

john boye · 01-10-2023 10:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121183111#Comment_121183111

Yeah I saw that and that's fair enough but it's nonsense to say they haven't been agreed as is being suggested above

ricimaki · 01-10-2023 10:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121183100#Comment_121183100

The trade unions who represent the drivers agreed. Their is a course of action to follow for cases like this, where at a bare minimum 1 weeks notice should be given. Clearly the majority of drivers accept the changes, or the trade unions wouldn't have accepted them.

The minority of drivers opposed to the changes decided to take matters in to their own hands, giving zero notice to their employer, trade union, and the general public who rely on their service. It is against the law. The majority of people who rely on busses either won't know this is happening, or will have so little notice that they won't be able to plan around it.

As unlikely as it is to happen, I hope they face serious repercussions for this.

end of the road · 01-10-2023 10:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121183234#Comment_121183234

their action is justified as obviously the rosters weren't fully agreed hence the actions.

i don't care if their action is against the law or not, that's not my problem, all i care about is whether their greevences can be solved or not.

mikeybhoy · 02-10-2023 12:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121183234#Comment_121183234

So what are they going jail the drivers for going on strike not going to happen. Would be extremely foolish if the company took any displinary action against the drivers involved too. The drivers are facing repercussions as they are losing out on pay and there is no strike as it's unofficial.

Were the drivers balloted on the rosters by the union?

Very possible drivers were kept in the dark by the union and the company. Up to the company to keep the travelling public informed.

breezy1985 · 02-10-2023 6:36am

No buses again today by the looks of it.

Can't find any statement from the workers.

Red Silurian · 02-10-2023 8:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121183483#Comment_121183483

According to a worker who spoke to Live95 it is not a strike but SIPTU are saying workers should not pass the picket line so the confusion levels are high here it seems

ricimaki · 02-10-2023 9:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121183345#Comment_121183345

You say there is no strike, yet no buses are running, and drivers are refusing to cross a picket line. If that is not a strike, what is it? You can't legally call it a strike because you know they haven't a leg to stand on.

Jail is extreme, but they should get pay cuts, mandatory unpaid leave, or even forced redundancy.

Employees all over the city either can't get to work today without ponying up for a taxi, will be very late, or are standing out waiting for buses for ages (not uncommon in Limerick without a strike going on...) not knowing there is disruption. What do you think would happen if any of these employees in private companies decided to strike without giving any notice, and the rest of the staff refused to cross the picket line?

Its between the union and the drivers to discuss ballots. If they are not happy, by all means have a ballot, discuss with the bus company, and only then, if no other outcome can be reached, have a strike with the required notice provided.

How can the company update the public if they themselves don't receive any information or notice of the ~~strike~~ unplanned disruption which involves picket lines.

Red Silurian · 02-10-2023 9:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121183903#Comment_121183903

100%

They need to decide whether they are protesting or striking and if they are protesting they should do it on their own time, not company time and the busses should be running

breezy1985 · 02-10-2023 9:38am

The union are telling everyone to go back to work and await a ballot.

Red Silurian · 02-10-2023 10:35am

From the BE website, a few routes are up and going again. My thinking is that three drivers decided to go to work?

https://www.buseireann.ie/service_updates.php?id=7574&month=Oct

Update: 10:50 Monday 2 October, 2023:

Limerick City Routes

301: All services suspended until further notice

302: All services suspended until further notice with the exception of 10:40,11:20,12:00 City Centre to Caherdavin

303: All services suspended until further notice

304: All services suspended until further notice with the exception of 14:08 Ex William Street – University of Limerick, 15:45 Raheen -Limerick City Centre.

304A: All services suspended until further notice

306: All services suspended until further notice

313: All services suspended until further notice

Route 314 The following services only are operating 10:00 Ballybunion- Limerick and13:15 Limerick -Ballybunion

Route 320: All services suspended until further notice

Route 321: All services suspended until further notice

Route 323 All services suspended until further notice

Route 328: The following services only are operating 09:20 Limerick – Mitchelstown and 11:45 Mitchelstown- Limerick and 14:20 Limerick – Mitchelstown and 16:45 Mitchelstown – Limerick

Route 329. All services suspended until further notice with the exception of 12:15 Limerick- Kilfinnane and 13:25 Kilfinnane -Limerick

Route 332:The following services only are operating 09:30 Limerick – Cashel and 11:30 Cashel- Limerick and 14:30 Limerick – Cashel and 17:30 Cashel - Limerick

Route 333 All services suspended until further notice

Route 336: All services suspended until further notice

Route 343: All services suspended until further notice other than 10:35 Limerick – Ennis and 13:40 Ennis -Limerick. 10:40 Ennis -Limerick.

Route 345. All services suspended until further notice other than 10:05 Scariff To Limerick will operate.

Route 350: All services operating other than:10:30 Ennis to Galway via Cliffs and 15:00 Galway to Ennis via Cliffs are not operating

Expressway Services

Route 13: All services operating other than: 08:35 Limerick-Tralee service cancelled.

Route 14: All services operating other than: 14:00 Killarney-Limerick Cancelled

Route 51: All services operating other than: 07:25; 08:25 Limerick-Galway services cancelled. 07:25; 08:35;18:35; 19:35 Limerick-Cork services cancelled.

16:25; 17:25; 19:25; 20:55 Cork-Limerick services Cancelled

11:05; 1205; 16:05; 17:05; 18:05 Galway – Cork services cancelled

19:05 and 20:05 Galway – Limerick services will operate but terminate at Ennis

10:25; 11:25 Cork – Galway services cancelled

16:25; 17:25; 18:25 Cork – Galway services will terminate at Limerick

Route 55: All services operating other than:

08:25; 09:25; 14:25; 17:25 Limerick-Waterford services cancelled

12:40; 14:40; 17:40; 20:50 Waterford-Limerick services Cancelled.

Route 72:

14:25 Limerick-Athlone Cancelled.

17:45 Athlone-Limerick Cancelled.

acceletor · 02-10-2023 10:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121183032#Comment_121183032

In your opinion, or do you know more?

john boye · 02-10-2023 12:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121184229#Comment_121184229

Does he know more? 😂😂. He's clueless, just rolling out the usual gibberish.

JCX BXC · 02-10-2023 2:04pm

More than just Limerick it seems, some routes such as the 336 and 333 that run entirely within Clare are cancelled.

p_haugh · 02-10-2023 2:30pm

Because they are operated by Limerick drivers I'd imagine. The Bus Eireann yard at Ennis train station is an out-base for Limerick based buses/drivers.