Hundreds of thousands face travel disruption during bus strike
Hundreds of thousands of commuters face major travel disruption this morning as the Dublin bus strike continues into its third day.
The strike follows workers rejecting a deal of nearly €12m in cost savings at the semi-state company.
The Department of Transport has confirmed that private car drivers may not use the bus lanes during the industrial action, as they are operating under normal rules. The College Green bus corridor is also operating under normal restrictions.
There are also fears that the strike at Dublin Bus could spread to other CIE companies, including Irish Rail.
Dermot O'Leary, Assistant General Secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union, said he has been contacted by supporters within Irish Rail, but has warned them any action on their part would not be official.
The Union said it is open to talks in order to call a halt to the strike, but want reassurances regarding the salaries of bosses at the company
Junior Transport Minister Alan Kelly said he believes the dispute can be resolved, and is calling on both sides to meet at the Labour Relations Commission.
"Dublin Bus is still the largest transport operator in the capital with many people depending on them to get to work and for social interaction. The company will lose €600,000 today while workers would also prefer to be running services and not be on the picket line," he said.
"The sooner all sides engage with each other the better."
Speaking from the picket line, SIPTU's Gerry Pender says the support from the public has been mostly positive.
"The support has been absolutely fantastic from the general public going by in their cars … let's hope things keep going on the way they are going now."
"We're in for the long haul," he said.
