CIE unions announce plan for series of stoppages

CIÉ workers today announced plans for a series of one-day stoppages in protest at Government plans to restructure the company.

Unions representing the workers said they plan to kick-off their campaign with a "no-fares day" on July 18th where commuters will not be asked for fares.

SIPTU and the National Bus and Railworkers' Union (NBRU) say this will be followed by a national day of protest on August 19th before a series of one-day stoppages starting in September.

The unions are protesting at plans by the Minister for Transport, Mr Seamus Brennan, to dismantle CIÉ and allow private operators to compete in the Dublin bus market.

They say the move will result in mass redundancies and the loss of vital public transport services across the State.

NBRU general secretary Mr Liam Tobin said: "The campaign will be intensified during Ireland's Presidency of the EU, during the first half of 2004".

He said: "We also reserve the right to intensify this campaign in the event of the Minister taking unilateral action in the meantime to privatise services".

The unions called on Mr Brennan to engage in "a meaningful dialogue on all the issues of the dispute and develop a strategy for improving and developing public transport services instead of carving them up.

"We are totally opposed to seeing routes sold off to private operators, some of whom appear to be front men for faceless multinationals," Mr Tobin said.

Mr Brennan wants the holding company in CIÉ to be dissolved into three companies established independently as State companies so they can compete with each other. He also plans to have 25 per cent of Dublin bus routes opened to competition by next January.

Mr Brennan claims there will be no involuntary redundancies resulting from his restructuring plans.

Until now there had been no consensus between the unions on what action to take to oppose the Minister's plans.

A SIPTU spokeswoman told ireland.comCIÉ unions were mindful of public opinion and anxious not to cause disruption during the Special Olympics and the school exams.

Today's statement details plans for a series of one-day stoppages starting on September 16th and then on October 14th and November 18th.

If no resolution is reached at this stage the action will be intensified to a two-day stoppage on December 8th/9th.