Risk of bus strike

Victor · 02-07-2004 1:55pm #1

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0702/nbru.html

NBRU ballot to favour strike at CIÉ
02 July 2004 12:23

The result of a National Bus and Rail Workers Union ballot, due this afternoon, is expected to be in favour of strike action over CIÉ restructuring.

In that case, the first stoppage could come within a fortnight.

The union has been balloting members for industrial action over plans by Transport Minister Sáamus Brennan to restructure CIÉ and to privatise a quarter of Dublin buses.

General Secretary Liam Tobin said members were angry about the failure of talks with the Department of Transport on the future of the company.

They are also concerned about the Department's decision to grant licences to private bus operators when negotiations on the company's future were incomplete.

If as expected the ballot favours industrial action, strike notice will be served on CIÉ later today.

It is expected the industrial action would commence with a one day strike of all bus and rail services nationally the week after next and would gradually escalate to several days a week.

Victor · 02-07-2004 2:08pm

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/07/02/story155143.html

Results of NBRU strike ballot expected this afternoon
02/07/2004 - 07:16:47

The results of a strike ballot among members of the National Bus and Railworkers Union is expected this afternoon.

The ballot was called as part of a dispute over the issuing of licences to private bus operators in certain areas of Dublin.

The NBRU said the Department of Transport issued the licences without coming to any agreement with Dublin Bus workers about the privatisation of bus services in Dublin.

It has also accused the department of missing three deadlines for clarifying the situation.

Victor · 02-07-2004 4:11pm

http://www.rte.ie/business/2004/0702/bus.html

Transport strikes loom after NBRU vote
July 02, 2004 15:54

90% of NBRU members have voted to take industrial action in protest at plans by Transport Minister Seamus Brennan to restructure CIE and franchise out a quarter of Dublin bus routes.

The union will stage its first 24-hour strike of all national bus and rail services on Tuesday July 20.

Its next one-day stoppage will take place on Wednesday August 4. Strike action will then be escalated to two consecutive days on August 24 and 25, followed by a three-day strike on September 7, 8 and 9.

It is understood that the Luas service will not be affected as the NBRU does not represent any Luas staff.

Victor · 02-07-2004 4:18pm

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/3511961?view=Eircomnet

Passengers face new wave of one-day transport strikes
From:ireland.com
Friday, 2nd July, 2004

Bus and rail passengers face major disruption over the coming months after one of te State's largest transport unions today voted in favour of strike action.

The National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU) voted 90 per cent in favour of taking industrial action this month, in August and in September. Over 3,000 NBRU members participated in the vote, the results of which were published this afternoon.

A total of seven full-day strikes will be implemented between now and September. The affected days are; Tuesday July 20th, Wednesday July 4th, Tuesday and Wedndesday August 24th and 25th, and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday September 7th, 8th and 8th.

The NBRU said an executive committee meeting of the union will "review the situation" again after the final day of strike action on September 9th.

The dispute centres on the issuing of licences by the Department of Transport to private bus operators in the Dublin area.

One of the major concerns for the unions ahead of the Government's break-up plans for CIÉ is what it terms the "cherry picking" of busy, profitable routes by private bus companies.

Last month, the NBRU postponed any further involvement in CIÉ restructuring talks following the revelations that the Department of Transport had issued two licences to private companies less than a week before it was due to provide CIÉ unions with a "definitive response" to their concerns over privatisation.

Victor · 02-07-2004 4:19pm

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/07/02/story155273.html

Bus and rail unions vote in favour of action
02/07/2004 - 15:32:52

The National Bus and Railworkers Union have voted by a majority of 90% in favour of industrial action.

The first in a series of 24-hour stoppages has been fixed for Tuesday, July 20.

Andrew Duffy · 02-07-2004 4:21pm

Great. Lovely. Fcuking fantastic. Now the Department of Transport will break its back facilitating this champion bunch of lads, and of course there'll be the full backing of the public.

This will be another huge step towards full privatisation, and the resultant peak-time-only service, increased prices, increased subsidy and decreased reliability that entails. I cannot understand how people qualified to drive a train or bus are too stupid to see this; I can only assume that 90% of the membership of the NBRU is made up of people who clean toilets and scratch their balls all day.

P11 Comms · 03-07-2004 12:19am

you are right Andrew - this is a spectacular PR disaster for the CIE Unions and especially so following the amazingly successful launch of the LUAS.

This is the Interconnector finished for sure - the RPA will get the money to build the Metro instead - what government in their right mind would invest tax-payers money into an organisation at the mercy of a semi-state union who are doing their best to live up to their sterotype of archaic and hysteical strike junkies - the CIE Unions still do not get it - they are paid by the public to be public servants and the purpose of public transport is to transport the public and not provide life-long jobs.

The 20th aniversary of the DART a few weeks away and it is celebrated by a strike. They have played right into the hands of Connex and they are making the case for privatisation of public transport more powerfully than any right wing economist ever could. They really are myopic and self-destructive. Tragic really.

BrianD · 03-07-2004 1:46pm

The public calls for privatisation normally come when they are inconvenienced - most often when strike action occurs.

Question... are Luas drivers unionised, what about the larger private bus operators? Is there a chance that in the future if a CIE group company goes on strike that we ill see their colleagues in the private sector join them?

Victor · 03-07-2004 10:37pm

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/3517419?view=Eircomnet

Public transport users face a series of strikes
From:ireland.com
Saturday, 3rd July, 2004

Public transport users face a series of national strikes this summer, beginning with a one-day stoppage on July 20th.

Members of the National Bus and Rail Union voted by a nine-to-one majority to take industrial action in their ongoing row with the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, over the future of CIÉ. A spokesman for the Minister said he could see no reason for the action contemplated.

The other main union in CIÉ, SIPTU, has not balloted for industrial action. Members would be likely to support any strike by the NBRU, however, so a shutdown of Dublin Bus, Iarnród Éireann and Bus Éireann services could be expected.

The NBRU strike later this month is to be followed by a further one-day stoppage on August 4th and a two-day stoppage on August 24th and 25th.

A three-day strike is to begin on Tuesday, September 7th, after which the NBRU said it would review the situation.

The decision to strike is over what the union claims is a failure of the Department of Transport to provide definitive proposals on the future of Dublin Bus by an agreed deadline.

It said June 8th, the last time the sides met, was the third occasion that the Department had failed to meet a deadline to provide documents.

In the meantime, the union says, the Department has continued to issue licences to private companies operating in Dublin.

"The manner in which licences are being issued does nothing for competition or improving services to the public," said the union's general secretary, Mr Liam Tobin.

"Instead the system allows private operators to negotiate in secret with the Department on how best to 'cherry pick' routes and schedules for ridiculously low fees."

Mr Brennan's spokesman, however, said just eight new licences had been issued to private operators in Dublin over the past 18 months. "The level of competition involved is minuscule given the size of the market."

Mr Brennan could not see the justification for the action threatened, given that there had been 15 meetings with the unions this year and talks were making progress, the spokesman said.

The unions, he added, had sought statutory provisions setting out minimum pay and conditions in the public transport industry.

The Department had explained, at the meeting on June 8th, that this proposal had potentially far-reaching implications. Further discussions would have to take place with other departments and members of the Cabinet.

Victor · 03-07-2004 10:49pm

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/3517621?view=Eircomnet

Bus and train strikes looming as privatisation row worsens
From:The Irish Independent
Saturday, 3rd July, 2004

BUS and train passengers face a series of strikes after the row over plans to privatise some bus services and break up CIE into three companies escalated.

The National Bus and Rail Union said yesterday its members had voted by a nine-to-one majority for work stoppages over the summer.

The first disruption is scheduled for Tuesday July 20, with further stoppages on Wednesday August 4, as well as on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 24 and 25. If the dispute continues, a three-day stoppage will be held by NBRU members from September 7.

Last summer, the NBRU and rival Siptu made similar threats - these led to a token "no fares" one-day protest.

The unions have been trying to secure details from the Department of Transport on its exact privatisation plans since Transport Minister Seamus Brennan announced in November 2002 that one-quarter of Dublin's bus services would be run by private bus firms by the start of this year.

NBRU general secretary Liam Tobin said last night his union "has been left with little option but to embark on a renewed campaign of industrial action".

He accused the department of having "reneged on commitments to provide a definitive response to the unions on our concerns about the minister's plans for Dublin Bus".

At this stage it is unlikely that Siptu - the largest union within CIE - will formally participate in the proposed protest strikes.

Last March its members were on the verge of a stoppage when it was aborted by the union's three top officials.

Following that decision, Mr Brennan agreed to talks brokered by the Labour Relations Commission.

These did not start until May and have been stalled in recent weeks due to the lack of clear proposals on the privatised bus routes.

Up to 600 Dublin Bus drivers' jobs may be axed if Mr Brennan implements his plans before the year's end.

Meanwhile, unions in the ESB also met yesterday and decided to ease back again from their threats of power cuts in a bid to get an 18.5pc pay rise - ten times the current inflation rate - plus share ownership of one-fifth of the state company.

The ESB group of unions decided to hold back on its threatened disruption to allow time for ICTU to seek a solution.

Gerald Flynn Industrial Correspondent

pork99 · 06-07-2004 11:04am

Originally posted by BrianD

Question... are Luas drivers unionised, what about the larger private bus operators? Is there a chance that in the future if a CIE group company goes on strike that we ill see their colleagues in the private sector join them?

To have a well paid secure job in today's environment is a privilege.

Anyone enoying such a privilege and in jobs essential to the functioning of the economy and/or public safety should give up the right to strike in return for that. I'm thinking of police, firefighters, transport workers, ESB workers.

I can understand some exploited drudges on minimum wage striking.. oh I forgot - the unions aren't interested in them...

sliabh · 06-07-2004 12:21pm

I was at a BBQ in a house recently that overlooked the Luas line. As we watched the trams running up and down (during testing) there was a conversation on being a tram driver. Someone had looked at the website where pay (€29,000) and requirements (leaving cert with 3 years commerical driving experience) were posted. The following is verbatim:

"Why do they look for a leaving cert?"
"Probably to keep NBRU members out"

:-)

John R · 06-07-2004 9:17pm

Originally posted by pork99
To have a well paid secure job in today's environment is a privilege.

Err, one quarter of Dublin Bus staff are essentially being threatened with the sack, how is that secure?

pork99 · 09-07-2004 3:05pm

Originally posted by John R
Err, one quarter of Dublin Bus staff are essentially being threatened with the sack, how is that secure?

Welcome to the real world lads. I would also like to mention that the value of your investment may fall as well as rise and that failure to meet mortgage repayments may endanger your home. Sh|t happens.

Compared to most people semi-state employees have had an easy ride for decades. Personally I've no problem with that. They provide an essential service. I can't see why this isn't a fair trade-off; you, the public transport worker, have a secure well paid job with good conditions and in return for that we, the travelling public (the people paying your wages), get a reliable high quality service with no strikes or threats thereof.

I more or less agree with David McWilliams;

Why not ask where the bus system is best? If it is France, then copy the French system fromtop to bottom. Why has the New York subway re- mained publicly owned, funded by pub- licly-backed bonds within the privatised culture of Manhattan? Maybe because it makes sense.

It is the best practice. Public transport is not supposed to make buckets of cash. Even the Americans see that the crux is not ideology but best practice. What about the row about private schools and universities? The issue is not about ideology. If it were, and you wanted to ensure fairness, there would be an overwhelming argu- ment for hefty fees in universities, because no fees are simply a way for the poor to subsidise the rich. The binman subsidises the doctor because the binman pays the university fees. If the consultant is not asked to forkout in later life he gets a free lunch, because the state pays for his fees,which enables him to make considerablymore than the average worker. But the most compelling argument for private universities is that they engender excellence. BeforeWorldWar II all the world's top universities were in Europe.

Now they are all private colleges in the US. Why? Because theAmericans decided that their universities had to become cen- tres of excellence, financed by the private sector. American colleges have flourished, pushing the country ahead,while in Eur- ope our universities have stagnated.

http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/Articles/view.asp?CategoryID=-1&CategoryName=&ArticleID=239

Xterminator · 09-07-2004 3:23pm

Originally posted by John R
Err, one quarter of Dublin Bus staff are essentially being threatened with the sack, how is that secure?

Well i'd say that is being offset by the number of new jobs on the new routes that Seamus Brennan created.

However because they are not dublin bus jobs, subsidsed by the state, the unuions wont be happy! Tough!

I know and accept that Dublin bus provide a valuble community service. However that doesnt disguse the fact that the place is so inneficient that they cant even break even on any of their dublin routes!!!

How in gods name can they not make money on routes like the no. 10 and no. 11? Thus we the taxpayer are subsidising their innefficiency, and being held to ransom by the unions because they know they hold the monopoly.

As for the doom sayers who claim seamus brennans going down the road of peak only service, this is untrue.

His way would see an authority set out a minimum service that must be adhered to, ie x buses per hour off peak, etc, and the companies that make a tender for that route will have to meet the schedule or be penalised.

X

John R · 10-07-2004 12:32am

Originally posted by Xterminator
Well i'd say that is being offset by the number of new jobs on the new routes that Seamus Brennan created.

Brennan has not created any new routes nor does he plan to, the plan in all it's vagueness is to give 25% of Dublin Bus routes to private operators which under the current one unrestricted licence per road system means private monopolies without any service/fares/standard requirements.

I know and accept that Dublin bus provide a valuble community service. However that doesnt disguse the fact that the place is so inneficient that they cant even break even on any of their dublin routes!!!

How in gods name can they not make money on routes like the no. 10 and no. 11? Thus we the taxpayer are subsidising their innefficiency, and being held to ransom by the unions because they know they hold the monopoly.

Go look up some facts before posting crap.
In the most recent CIE report Dublin Bus returned a small operating profit, this includes the public service subvention which is one of the lowest for any operator of their size in Europe.
Dublin Bus do not break down receipts and costs by route at least not publicly so I don't know how you know what the take on individual routes is.
There have been several independent reports and endless government quangoes investigating transport in Dublin, none of which have concluded that Dublin Bus are innefficient or badly operated.

As for the doom sayers who claim seamus brennans going down the road of peak only service, this is untrue.

His way would see an authority set out a minimum service that must be adhered to, ie x buses per hour off peak, etc, and the companies that make a tender for that route will have to meet the schedule or be penalised.

X

All of that has been dreamed up by you because neither Brennan or the DoT have said any such thing. Brennan did say that they would "look" at regulation after their 25% giveaway.

You are assuming that the best practices of private franchising that can be found in some other places such as London will be used here. There is no evidence to suggest that, nor is there any precedent in other areas. The exact opposite has happened, just look at the telecoms sector. Our national network was flogged off in a fiasco and we are now left with a private monopoly who are engaged in rampant profiteering and asset stripping while letting the copper network deteriorate badly all the while the toothless regulator set up after the fact are doing sweetFA. Meanwhile the Irish customer is being royally screwed without any option but to pay and pay through the nose with no end in sight.

Oh, BTW a recent report showed that a properly regulated private franchise system costs the taxpayer MORE than a state monopoly because as well as having to still subsidise the loss making services and allow the private operators make a profit the regulatory authority needs constant funding to manage and monitor the whole system. More people have to be employed under that system, more managers and accountants rather than more bus drivers, so more costs and more inefficiencies for the same service.
There is plenty of evidence to back this up, just look at the UK rail industry, in the 10 years after privitisation the costs (to the taxpayer) rose in multiples even though the services did not greatly improve. Lots of company directors in the newly formed operators and contractors became millionaires out of the system though including several politicians central to the push for privitisation, I wonder if such a thing could happen here?

Victor · 10-07-2004 12:42pm

Originally posted by Xterminator
How in gods name can they not make money on routes like the no. 10 and no. 11? Thus we the taxpayer are subsidising their innefficiency, and being held to ransom by the unions because they know they hold the monopoly.

The 10 and 11 probably do make a profit, however some routes to Blanchardstown were known to not make a profit because of congestion (the frequency of this route was cut).

However removing nominally loss making routes from the system degrades the rest of the system and may in the end cost more than operating the loss making routes.

Risk of bus strike

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