Union cancels protest march to attend LRC talks on bus privatisation
The National Bus & Rail Union has accepted an invitation to talks at the Labour Relations Commission aimed at resolving the row over plans to privatise some bus services.
The NBRU said that their protest march planned for Wednesday, July 23, has been postponed.
The union says it remains opposed to the plans to put up to 10% of routes currently operated by Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann out to tender.
The NBRU says it will use the opportunity at the LRC to outline to the National Transport Authority why its proposals to outsource some services is flawed.
General Secretary of the union, Dermot O'Leary, said: "We have received a request from the Labour Relations Commission to attend at exploratory discussions on Wednesday, 23rd July, on the issue of privatisation of bus routes.
"To date the National Transport Authority has ignored staff concerns and in fact told us that they would not under any circumstances engage with us on those concerns, however it would now appear that the NTA will be attending at these proposed discussions.
"One of the main planks of our campaign over recent months has been to highlight the continuous side-lining of staff concerns by the NTA.
"In recognition of the request from the LRC we have asked the march organisers to temporarily postpone the march pending the outcome of these initial discussions, and they have agreed to our request."
