DUBLIN BUS, BUS EIREANN DRIVERS TO STRIKE FOR 4 DAYS NEXT MONTH
SIPTU bus drivers at Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann plan to stage four days of strike action next month.
It follows what they say is the refusal by management of both companies to meet with them to discuss their concerns over plans to privatise 10 percent of bus routes.
At a meeting this morning, drivers agreed to stage work stoppages on Friday and Saturday 1st and 2nd May – and also on Friday and Saturday, the 15th and 16th.
Eoin Reidy of SIPTU says the bus companies will not meet them so they feel they are left with no choice but to strike.
“We looked for two separate meetings with both bus companies, and bizarrely and quite outrageously they denied the opportunity to meet with us” he said.
“You can’t oppose government policy through industrial action, we won’t do that”.
“But we have a legitimate trade dispute because there are six key issues that we’ve been raising, which will be a consequence of this privatisation which we’ve made no progress on”.
“If the Department of Transport is going to talk to us – but if the two bus companies and the employers aren’t – we’re left with no choice” he added.
