Bus drivers planning four days of strike action
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% of bus routes.
At a meeting this morning, drivers agreed to stage work stoppages on Friday May 1 and Saturday May 2, and also on Friday May 15 and Saturday May 16.
Eoin Reidy of SIPTU said that 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."
