Bus Eireann

shane7218 · 27-03-2017 05:33PM

We might as well just declare a national holiday to allow for the yearly strikes of transport services at this stage.

BoatMad · 27-03-2017 05:34PM

devnull wrote: »

They cannot for Expressway, that would be illegal state aid.

sorry yes , they received 50 million in capex grants for PSO vehicles and 33million in operating costs for PSO activities . They received 7,5 million in the grants from the NTA

devnull · 27-03-2017 05:34PM

TheDoctor wrote: »

For what reason are SIPTU members in Dublin Bus and Iarnród Éireann to ballot for industrial action?.

The idea is to simply find any issue to argue about that they don't really care about, make some stupid and idiotic claim, pretend that they are so outraged by it, everyone votes in a ballot to strike (even though they don't care about it) and then they can claim that they have a genuine reason to go on strike and their strike is perfectly legal

Hence ramp up pressure on the Government. They don't really have a reason to strike, they just need to create one so they can go on strike legally without getting done for secondary picketing.

devnull · 27-03-2017 05:36PM

BoatMad wrote: »

sorry yes , they received 50 million in capex grants for PSO vehicles and 33million in operating costs for PSO activities . They received 7,5 million in the grants from the NTA

PSO went up to 40m last year as well (2016) but that won't show in the accounts which only include the previous year.

Sierra Oscar · 27-03-2017 05:41PM

SIPTU to ballot Dublin Bus and Irish Rail workers for industrial action on Wednesday. All-out transport strike is on the cards.

BoatMad · 27-03-2017 05:46PM

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

SIPTU to ballot Dublin Bus and Irish Rail workers for industrial action on Wednesday. All-out transport strike is on the cards.

its irrelevant , a strike cannot fix BE fundamental problems , Expressway cant be subsidised, Expressway cant compete

end of story

BE has to cut staff or cut staff costs , i.e. less on current pay or the same staff on less pay,

If its less staff, then they have too get productivity improvements otherwise the mess merely continues

staff are also looking for a 3-5% pay rise

The Gov in reality cant actually fix this

devnull · 27-03-2017 05:47PM

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

SIPTU to ballot Dublin Bus and Irish Rail workers for industrial action on Wednesday. All-out transport strike is on the cards.

That's another 9 days away, by the time that happens BE might be on life support if nothing changes.

BoatMad · 27-03-2017 05:47PM

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

SIPTU to ballot Dublin Bus and Irish Rail workers for industrial action on Wednesday. All-out transport strike is on the cards.

how can this occur, they must go through the mechanism of the industrial dispute processes first

Seph503 · 27-03-2017 05:58PM

Sympathy striking should be illegal. What terms of employment have changed for IE or DB workers that warrant strike action?

clairek6 · 27-03-2017 06:11PM

Due on a 7:30 am train in the morning what's the chances of them being on strike

devnull · 27-03-2017 06:13PM

clairek6 wrote: »

Due on a 7:30 am train in the morning what's the chances of them being on strike

They have to give 7 days notice, so no chance of a strike until next week.

You'll be fine.

AMKC · 27-03-2017 06:13PM

If this strike does not end soon these bus drivers might find themselves without a company and a job to return too. Then they will be very sorry. It also will not be good for a lot of rural villages and towns as well as for old age pensioners and people with disabilities that have a free travel pass.
Sure you can go on about private operators will takeover but thats no good for a lot of villages and towns in the country that do not have a regular service by them as well as for people with free travel passes.

Heads need to be banged together between Bus Eireann and the unions and a compromise come to and that should be done by Transport minister Sean Ross no money but get them to sit together and talk until all the issues are sorted.

BoatMad · 27-03-2017 06:15PM

Sure you can go on about private operators will takeover but thats no good for a lot of villages and towns in the country that do not have a regular service by them as well as for people with free travel passes.

between grants for busses and actually subvention to cover PSO routes it amounts to 80million euros , with 33 million in operating subvention EVERY year

imagine the Gov going to private bus operators and saying , HI lads, we have 80 million for you to run services to villages and towns

Jaysus, there'd be busses everywhere on every boreen

hmmm · 27-03-2017 06:17PM

If there is to be an all-out strike, this is one the government cannot afford to lose - otherwise the taxpayer will be ridden sideways by the unions. FG should put it up to FF as to which side they want to be on in any dispute - the taxpayer, or SF/PBP. This is the opportunity that FG (and FF) have needed to put clear blue water between themselves and the socialist parties, the public have made it clear that they are sick of being held to ransom by the transport unions.

For a start, restrictions should be removed on the private sector - let's get every private bus in the country on the road day 1 of the strike.

CoolHandBandit · 27-03-2017 06:17PM

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

SIPTU to ballot Dublin Bus and Irish Rail workers for industrial action on Wednesday. All-out transport strike is on the cards.

Fair play to them. Going to play havoc with my commute but the line must be drawn in the sand somewhere in the downward pressure on wages in this country. It simply can't go on that people are earning less now than 15 years ago for the same job. A low wage/low tax take economy is not the way forward.

Mantis Toboggan · 27-03-2017 06:19PM

Unions holding the country to ransom yet again, nothing new so!

BoatMad · 27-03-2017 06:20PM

CoolHandBandit wrote: »

Fair play to them. Going to play havoc with my commute but the line must be drawn in the sand somewhere in the downward pressure on wages in this country. It simply can't go on that people are earning less now than 15 years ago for the same job. A low wage/low tax take economy is not the way forward.

what part of 5,4% increase in staff wages at BE from 2014 suggest that wages are going down !!

equally are you suggesting that the commercial arm of BE , is simply allowed to drain the exchequer for whatever it needs as it FAILS to compete with private buss operators

NO company , state or private is immune from the laws of competition, YOU either can supply a service competitively or you go bust

none is entitled to any given wage above the minimum wage, it has to be justified by the business that is paying you

Mantis Toboggan · 27-03-2017 06:22PM

CoolHandBandit wrote: »

Fair play to them. Going to play havoc with my commute but the line must be drawn in the sand somewhere in the downward pressure on wages in this country. It simply can't go on that people are earning less now than 15 years ago for the same job. A low wage/low tax take economy is not the way forward.

Is the average pay of 48,000 not enough to drive a bus around?

drawnacrol · 27-03-2017 06:24PM

"Ok its 18:10 and the Bus is due at 18:30. Its freezing cold and very windy but I'll be fine once I'm on the bus in 20 mins."

1 hour and 30 minutes later

"Its 19:40….....still no sign of the last two buses and I'm close to hypothermia. Fantastic service Bus Eireann!"

Edit: This was 2 years ago and has happened several times. Not during the strike this week. I haven't got that bus in years since it doesn't even come half of the time.

BoatMad · 27-03-2017 06:29PM

drawnacrol wrote: »

"Ok its 18:10 and the Bus is due at 18:30. Its freezing cold and very windy but I'll be fine once I'm on the bus in 20 mins."

1 hour and 30 minutes later

"Its 19:40….....still no sign of the last two buses and I'm close to hypothermia. Fantastic service Bus Eireann!"

wait till next week, buy a bike

Galwayguy35 · 27-03-2017 06:34PM

TheQuietFella wrote: »

Close it so! Re-label it as something new and start all over again with it.
Import hundreds of foreign drivers and pay them minimum wage, have
them all live in squalor sharing beds and homes as was previously done in
some Dublin house! But wait! they're f**king immigrants! You can't do that with f**king immigrants!!!
That's f**king racist but you can do it to your own!

If this issue existed in Dublin only it wouldn't be happening i.e. Dublin Bus!
As it is a nationwide problem the whole country can go to f**k!
If it's not impacting on the nations capital there's no problem!

Calm down it's just a discussion on an internet forum where people voice their opinion, no need to get blood pressure over it.

OT as far as I know the drivers will still have their basic wage, overtime is nice when it's available but when a company is in trouble it will be the first thing to go.

The basic salary is quite a good one anyway, they drive a bus which while it requires a certain level of skill is not exactly the same as saving lives which medical staff do for less money in many cases.

BoatMad · 27-03-2017 06:36PM

The basic salary is quite a good one anyway, they drive a bus which while it requires a certain level of skill is not exactly the same as saving lives which medical staff do for less money in many cases.

perhaps we need the equivalent video to the LUAS " orange "

trellheim · 27-03-2017 06:45PM

was part of the IE and DB deals not a no-strike clause ?

AMKC · 27-03-2017 07:01PM

drawnacrol wrote: »

"Ok its 18:10 and the Bus is due at 18:30. Its freezing cold and very windy but I'll be fine once I'm on the bus in 20 mins."

1 hour and 30 minutes later

"Its 19:40….....still no sign of the last two buses and I'm close to hypothermia. Fantastic service Bus Eireann!"

You do know there is a strike on right.

Bus Eireann had 6 million at the beginning of this year and that is now down to 4 million that can,t keep happening.
The sooner they get together with unions and sort the problems the sooner the drivers get back to work.

BoatMad · 27-03-2017 07:11PM

AMKC wrote: »

You do know there is a strike on right.

Bus Eireann had 6 million at the beginning of this year and that is now down to 4 million that can,t keep happening.
The sooner they get together with unions and sort the problems the sooner the drivers get back to work.

bus eireann tuned a operating surplus in a 4 million loss in 2014, a 6 million loss in 2015 and as far as we can tell a greater loss in 2016 , it has accumulated losses of 12 million against a balance sheet of 16 million net assets at the end of 2015

one presumes that the unsigned 2016 accounts essentially have raised those accumulated losses close to or exceeding the net assets position , thereby rendering the company technically near or actually insolvent

IE for example tends to remain solvent due to a very large net asset position , BE on the other hand has a far smaller net asset position

BuilderPlumber · 27-03-2017 07:31PM

CoolHandBandit wrote: »

Fair play to them. Going to play havoc with my commute but the line must be drawn in the sand somewhere in the downward pressure on wages in this country. It simply can't go on that people are earning less now than 15 years ago for the same job. A low wage/low tax take economy is not the way forward.

While I have sympathy for workers, this strike is totally unacceptable and should be illegal. The poor treatment of workers should be illegal too. Two wrongs don't make a right. The fact that this thing has caused more disruption than snow and storms tells a lot.

If the unions hit management where it hurt them WITHOUT disrupting the people, that would be better and the people would support it. Now, they have lost my support with their indifference to the suffering of the people. Another dark day for Ireland.

BuilderPlumber · 27-03-2017 07:34PM

Tyson Fury wrote: »

Unions holding the country to ransom yet again, nothing new so!

Why does Ireland even allow this????? This baffles me. Surely, the ISIS now are watching and they are saying here's a country we can take over without firing a single shot. The dissident republicans are also planning their takeover. In any other country, this strike would be declared illegal, buses would be running and the underlying issues would be solved (or would not be allowed to escalate in the first place). Everything about this strike and both the union and BE management side in it represent Ireland at its very worst.

BoatMad · 27-03-2017 07:36PM

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Why does Ireland even allow this????? This baffles me. Surely, the ISIS now are watching and they are saying here's a country we can take over without firing a single shot. The dissident republicans are also planning their takeover. In any other country, this strike would be declared illegal, buses would be running and the underlying issues would be solved (or would not be allowed to escalate in the first place). Everything about this strike and both the union and BE management side in it represent Ireland at its very worst.

a wry smile and an anecdote , I think it was during filming of Barry Lydon " , I may be wrong , and the set was a band of Fusiliers were sent marching down a street, the set was in Dublin .

Half way away , a door burst open and an old women ran out , " oh thank god you're back "

BoatMad · 27-03-2017 07:38PM

BoatMad wrote: »

a wry smile and an anecdote , I think it was during filming of Barry Lydon " , I may be wrong , and the set was a band of Fusiliers were sent marching down a street, the set was in Dublin .

Half way away , a door burst open and an old women ran out , " oh thank god you're back "

I use that to illustrate a fundemental failing as a result of more then likely Union with Britain,

in ireland the Gov was seen as " them " and it was up to us to trick " them " out of anything we could

unfortunately since 1922, "them" is "us" , but we haven't copped on yet

quadrifoglio verde · 27-03-2017 07:56PM

Shurimgreat wrote: »

If they are losing 500,000 a day as a result of a strike, at what point or when do they become insolvent? They must be fairly low on cash reserves at this stage.

As for Siptu members of Dublin Bus and IE joining the strike, this only makes the issue even more intractable as the unions dig in their heels.

You'd swear the unions wanted BE to go bankrupt the way they are acting.

The COO said this evening that at the start of the year they had 4 million in reserves. So not long.

He also said something a lot more startling to me. That bus eireann has 2500 staff. So in effect, for every 1.5 drivers on the front line, there's 1 back office support staff member/manager
Which seems quite excessive.
Looking at that, I'd hazard a guess that the company is grossly inefficient from the top down.

Bus Eireann

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