Just saw this in the Irish Times. If you are in Dublin on Tuesday, be aware that there may be a strike going on.
Talks between unions and management at Dublin Bus aimed at averting further strikes are to start today, just hours before the next 48-hour strike is due to begin.
However, the new process has been described as “exploratory” and, for the moment at least, work stoppages planned for tomorrow and Wednesday are still scheduled to go ahead.
The Workplace Relations Commission intervened in the dispute on Sunday and invited the parties to attend talks without preconditions to examine whether a basis existed for further engagement to try to find a resolution. Unions representing the 3,400 staff at Dublin Bus as well as management at the company said they would attend the talks.
Siptu divisional organiser Owen Reidy and the general secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) Dermot O’Leary welcomed the invitation. However, they said any consideration of cancelling this week’s strikes would only be taken after their unions assessed if any progress had been made at today’s talks.
“The NBRU focus from the commencement of this dispute has been geared towards getting Dublin Bus to attend at discussions in order to address the fact that its own staff are deserving of a fair and adequate wage rise after eight long years of austerity-enforced pay stagnation and pay cuts,” Mr O’Leary, said.
Decision
He said any decision on whether the strike action tomorrow goes ahead or is cancelled will be made by the union committee based on the progress, or otherwise at today’s initial meeting.