ILDA `guerrilla tactics' delay Dublin bus and rail commuters

Tens of thousands of Dublin bus and rail commuters suffered delays and inconvenience yesterday as picketing by Irish Locomotive Drivers Association (ILDA) members caused widespread cancellation of services.

Dublin Bus estimated that up to 175,000 commuters were inconvenienced when secondary picketing of bus depots by ILDA members led to the cancellation of many city bus services.

A picket at the main DART depot reduced the number of trains by 50 per cent yesterday morning, although the service had almost returned to normal by the evening rush hour.

The pickets on the bus depots were removed shortly after 5 p.m. and, while the evening rush hour was better than had been expected, the situation deteriorated later when drivers finished their morning shifts and were not replaced.

ILDA pickets were placed on all Dublin Bus depots yesterday before 5 a.m. Worst affected was the Conyngham Road depot.

According to a spokesman for Dublin Bus, Mr Joe Collins, the level of service at peak travel time yesterday morning ranged from 40 to 70 per cent at depots in Phibsboro, Donnybrook, Summerhill, Ringsend and Clontarf. At Ringsend, where drivers begin work earlier than at any other depot, the picket was lifted at about 8.30 a.m. In what Dublin Bus described as a "sudden withdrawal", the Clontarf picket ended at 4 p.m. and the others were over by 5.10 p.m. Approximately 500 drivers refused to cross the picket. Mr Collins said Dublin Bus had received no warning that the pickets would take place. "It was lightning action," he said.

About half the DART service ran yesterday morning when some drivers refused to pass an ILDA picket outside the main depot at Fairview. A spokesman for Iarnrod Eireann, Mr Barry Kenny, described the actions of the ILDA drivers as "guerrilla tactics". Mr Brendan Ogle, executive secretary of ILDA, refused to condemn the pickets and said SIPTU and NBRU representatives were prolonging the dispute.

SIPTU and NBRU issued a joint statement yesterday afternoon encouraging the ILDA drivers to return to work, saying it was necessary to ensure relations between drivers were not damaged beyond repair.