Latest: Bus Éireann talks adjourned at Labour Court; set to resume in morning

Latest: A Labour court hearing between Bus Éireann unions and management has adjourned for the evening so further talks can take place between both sides to clarify certain issues.

Latest: Bus Éireann talks adjourned at Labour Court; set to resume in morning

Update 6pm: A Labour court hearing between Bus Éireann unions and management has adjourned for the evening so further talks can take place between both sides to clarify certain issues.

The dispute was referred to the court after talks broke down overnight at the Workplace Relations Commission.

The hearing is set to resume at 10.30am tomorrow morning.

Update 1.40pm: Stakeholders in the Bus Éireann dispute will appear before the Labour Court in around an hour's time.

It is after no deal was reached during talks overnight.

Management say a deal they put forward was turned down - while unions claim there is been Government interference in the talks.

Meanwhile Solidarity - People Before Profit TDs have donated their wage increases to the striking workers.

They presented a cheque for €2,000 to Bus Éireann drivers outside the Dáil.

People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith says she believes the Government is pursuing an agenda of privatisation: "All along I have believed that this is an orchestrated dispute.

"Orchestrated by the transport minister, the previous transport minister and crucially the involvement of the National Transport Authority.

"There is evidence there, flooded the routes on the Expressway, with more than was needed of private licences and this really squeezed the public transport delivery."

Update 10am: Unions representing Bus Éireann workers have claimed that Department of Transport has been interfering with WRC talks behind the scenes.

Minister Paschal Donohoe said his former Department hasn't been involved, however, saying: "The Government have laid out very clearly their views on how this matter should be dealt with.

"It is a matter between the management of Bus Éireann and the representatives of the workers, which in this case is the unions,

"The Government has been putting in place the support for the WRC to do their work, but we are not playing any other role in that."

Update 8.40am: Bus Éireann workers and management are to take their dispute to the Labour Court today at 3pm.

In a statement released by Siptu, the union said despite their best efforts they were unable to reach an agreement.

SIPTU Sector Organiser, Willie Noone said: “Despite the very best efforts of WRC Conciliation Officers, it has proved beyond their professional expertise to find a set of proposals which could bring a conclusion to this dispute.

"Some outstanding issues which are central to getting a comprehensive agreement have now been referred to the Labour Court for non-binding arbitration.

Mr Noone also said it was "disappointing" that the dispute had been escalated to the Labour Court.

Update 7.15am: Bus Éireann are heading to the Labour Court.

In a statement released by the company this morning, Bus Éireann stated that after 16 days of intensive negotiations talks have broken down.

The unions have referred a number of issues to the Labour Court and Bus Éireann have agreed to attend.

The company apologised to the public for the inconvenience caused.

"We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused as a result of the ongoing industrial action."

The NBRU has issued a statement saying unions were prepared to contribute upwards of €18m towards the savings needed at the company.

However General Secretary Dermot O'Leary says it appears to them that "other agencies that were not party to the discussions at the WRC have been applying undue influence on the proceedings, restricting the ability of Bus Éireann to actually reach agreement".

He has also alleged "there are forces at play here which would prefer to see the demise of Bus Éireann, rather than concentrate on securing its future".

The two parties will meet at the Labour Court at 3pm this afternoon.

Earlier: The public faces another day of travel disruption as the Bus Éireann dispute rumbles on, writes Elaine Loughlin.

Talks between Bus Éireann management and unions continued last night in a bid to resolve the dispute which is now in its 19th day.

While union representatives were optimistic heading into talks yesterday after making a number of breakthroughs on Sunday, progress was described as “slow” last night.

It is understood there were difficulties around the consolidation of pay including over-time rates and other allowances into a basic rate.

Last night a number of significant issues were still outstanding as both sides continued to try to hammer out their differences at the Workplace Relations Commission.

Unions believe that those on higher salary scales should take more of the brunt of proposed cuts.

However, the company, which has been loosing €500,000 for every day of the all-out strike, is now facing insolvency in the coming weeks if it cannot implement widespread cuts and cost-saving measures.

Yesterday Siptu sectoral organiser, Willie Noone, conceded that “in excess” of 120 jobs will be lost at the company.

Going into the WRC he said: “Our members are expecting proposals that will come out that will protect their conditions of employment and we believe that any proposal that comes out of here has to reflect that.”

Around 1,900 of the company’s 2,600 strong workforce have now been without wages for almost three weeks.

This article first appeared in the Irish Examiner.

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