The Minister for Public Enterprise has ruled out making concessions to the striking Dublin Bus drivers without increases in productivity, saying this would run counter to social partnership.
Ms O'Rourke's comments were reinforced later by other Government sources, who said there was no question of conceding to union demands that the State give Dublin Bus the extra money to settle the drivers' claim. Granting the pay claim without substantial productivity increases in return would pose a grave threat to the social partnership deal, they said.
The drivers' claim would cost £9 million per annum, the sources said. Related claims from other Dublin Bus staff would cost a further £3 million, while follow-on demands from throughout the CIE group could cost up to £50 million, they maintain.
"Then there would be the other public sector workers who would see concessions as a major weakness and would put in their own claims," said a source. "We would be tearing up the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness." Ms O'Rourke also said she was not inclined to agree to Fine Gael demands that private bus operators be allowed to operate services while the drivers were on strike. She said her instinct was not to bring in the Army or private bus operators to provide transport services.
Calling for the suspension of the strike and the opening of talks, Ms O'Rourke said pay rises could come only as a result savings made through changes in work practices. "The matter is quite clear," she said. "The Government cannot agree to a 20 per cent handover, as expressed last night by some of the employees, with no strings attached. That is just not a tenable position for a government of any political disposition."
However, she said there was "scope for considerable enhancement of employees' wages and salaries if we go the route of productivity. That is the route which we must go. Therein lies, in my estimation and in the belief of the Government, the way to enhancing the basic salary".
During earlier negotiations, she said, the main drivers' union, the NBRU, had proposed measures which, if agreed and fully implemented, would generate savings of about £2 million. "At the same talks, Dublin Bus made it clear that it was prepared to seriously address the pay claim. It tabled productivity proposals which would generate cost savings in excess of the required £9 million, without the need for any job losses or any impact on earnings."
She said these union and management proposals could provide a basis for the resumption of negotiations. "The State's industrial relations machinery remains available to assist. However, it only makes sense for it to become involved when it is satisfied that a basis exists for resumed negotiations."
She warned that if the action by Iarnrod Eireann permanent way staff continued, "it will quickly become impossible, for safety reasons, to run services on uninspected track".