Transport workers to go on strike on a Saturday

[PhoenixIreland]

Dempsey has said "passengers are deserting CIE busses in droves", and there had to be reform...

First, is he talking about bus liberalization in the middle of a strike over job losses?? Is he insane?

Second, how does he know people have been deserting them in droves? and how are these people getting to work now? by magic carpet? They're certainly not getting cars in this climate, and all the private operators I know of that run on Dublin Bus routes have higher fairs so whats he talking about??
Could it be the thousands loosing their jobs have nowhere to go on the bus anymore thats why the numbers are dropping?

[RayM]

Could it be the thousands loosing their jobs have nowhere to go on the bus anymore thats why the numbers are dropping?

Spot on. Anyone who has travelled regularly on buses at peak times over the past few years can see that it's now a hell of a lot easier to get a seat than it was this time last year. I've definitely noticed a distinct lack of construction workers on the buses in the mornings. And I don't think it's because they're protesting about the lack of 'liberalisation' of the bus market.

With the exception of Seamus Brennan (and not just out of respect for the fact that he's dead), Fianna Fail seems to have a horrible habit of giving their worst and most incompetent cretins and bullsh!tters the job of Transport Minister. It's a bit unfair that the travelling public have to suffer just because it's electorally beneficial to Fianna Fail that there should be a minister from Meath or Waterford.

[PhoenixIreland]

Spot on. Anyone who has travelled regularly on buses at peak times over the past few years can see that it's now a hell of a lot easier to get a seat than it was this time last year. I've definitely noticed a distinct lack of construction workers on the buses in the mornings. And I don't think it's because they're protesting about the lack of 'liberalisation' of the bus market.

With the exception of Seamus Brennan (and not just out of respect for the fact that he's dead), Fianna Fail seems to have a horrible habit of giving their worst and most incompetent cretins and bullsh!tters the job of Transport Minister. It's a bit unfair that the travelling public have to suffer just because it's electorally beneficial to Fianna Fail that there should be a minister from Meath or Waterford.

I actually noticed this drop in numbers for the first time today.
Coming home from UCD I usually either leave before 4 or after 7 as between those times you could be waiting an hour for a bus, as your number zooms by full 2-3 times. Today at coming up to 5 pm, I was able to get a bus, the rare 84 no less, and a seat, quite easily. At that time they're usually so packed there is steam on the windows from the body heat.

The liberalization argument never convinced me, whats the ground for it? cost? whos been putting the prices up every year for the last decade? the government!

Frequency? Adding more buses and bus lanes solves that, and adding more operators onto the roads will only increase congestion (or leave it the same, depending on what plan they use) not to mention a private operator will have to go through the same bottleknecks dublin bus does.

Quality of service? whats there to serve, you sit you drive, whats there to improve on? the busses themselves are spotless (unless you get the 75...) and modern and go as fast as they can considering dublins crazy road network.

The notion that passengers are leaving Dublin Bus (which as the same government never tires of reminding us has a monopoly leaving them very few other places to go) because of any of these reasons or to protest the lack of competition is a dishonest and transparent attempt at propaganda in the same vein as the campaign of demonization of other public sector workers they've engaged in during the last few months.

The only issue I have with Dublin Bus is the high fares, and thats the govts fault not the drivers!

[kerrynorth]

How is this going to work: NBRU going on strike Saturday Feb 28th, March 9/10; SIPTU going on all out strike from Sunday March 1st.

As other Union members will not be passing the others picket I take it that this is in effect an all out strike at Dublin Bus/Bus Eireann from Saturday Feb 28th. Am I wrong?

[joel]

I actually noticed this drop in numbers for the first time today.
Coming home from UCD I usually either leave before 4 or after 7 as between those times you could be waiting an hour for a bus, as your number zooms by full 2-3 times. Today at coming up to 5 pm, I was able to get a bus, the rare 84 no less, and a seat, quite easily. At that time they're usually so packed there is steam on the windows from the body heat.

The liberalization argument never convinced me, whats the ground for it? cost? whos been putting the prices up every year for the last decade? the government!

Frequency? Adding more buses and bus lanes solves that, and adding more operators onto the roads will only increase congestion (or leave it the same, depending on what plan they use) not to mention a private operator will have to go through the same bottleknecks dublin bus does.

Quality of service? whats there to serve, you sit you drive, whats there to improve on? the busses themselves are spotless (unless you get the 75...) and modern and go as fast as they can considering dublins crazy road network.

The notion that passengers are leaving Dublin Bus (which as the same government never tires of reminding us has a monopoly leaving them very few other places to go) because of any of these reasons or to protest the lack of competition is a dishonest and transparent attempt at propaganda in the same vein as the campaign of demonization of other public sector workers they've engaged in during the last few months.

The only issue I have with Dublin Bus is the high fares, and thats the govts fault not the drivers!

"Competition" is to cut the wages of the workers and increase the number of bosses. Plus - as you say - its inefficient and hardly helps Climate Change.

[petervalhala]

and then the teachers and then the health service....

The government will get the message fairly quickly

So will the private sector workers, who are losing their jobs at a 1,000 a week and have seen their pension funds value collapse (for those lucky enough to have one).

They will see those with secure jobs, with guaranteed pensions, who earn 15-30% more than their UK equivalents (OECD figures), have no civic duty, have no regard for their private sector colleagues and have no intension of sharing the neccessary cuts required to stabilise the country's finances.

Its time for a bit of reality, they aren't even been asked for a pay cut, just to contribute more to their pensions!

[PhoenixIreland]

So will the private sector workers, who are losing their jobs at a 1,000 a week and have seen their pension funds value collapse (for those lucky enough to have one).

They will see those with secure jobs, with guaranteed pensions, who earn 15-30% more than their UK equivalents (OECD figures), have no civic duty, have no regard for their private sector colleagues and have no intension of sharing the neccessary cuts required to stabilise the country's finances.

Its time for a bit of reality, they aren't even been asked for a pay cut, just to contribute more to their pensions!

Just playing devils advocate here...

Maybe the private sector should grow a pair and strike too? Join these unions and take them out of the hands of the hacks?

[petervalhala]

Just playing devils advocate here...

Maybe the private sector should grow a pair and strike too?

Strike against what precisely?