Proposals by the NBRU and Dublin Bus could provide the basis for the resumption of negotiations in the Dublin Bus strike, in its third day, according to the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke.
She welcomed the NBRU proposals to save £2 million which the union made in earlier discussions. If the proposals were agreed and implemented, that would be £2 million in savings out of more than £9 million needed to meet the union's 20 per cent pay claim.
The Minister also apologised during the Special Notice debate on the dispute for describing the former CIE chairman, Mr Brian Joyce, as absolutely disgraceful. During a series of exchanges Mr Sean Barrett (FG, Dun Laoghaire) said the dispute had been going on for weeks and the Minister had done absolutely nothing about it. Ms O'Rourke said he should ask Mr Joyce about it.
Mr Barrett: "It is absolutely disgraceful".
Ms O'Rourke: "Indeed he was".
The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton said Mr Joyce was not in the House to defend himself and called on the Minister to withdraw her remark.
"I humbly apologise," she said, but later added that Mr Joyce had said she should not interfere.
During the debate on the transport strike, Ms O'Rourke pointed to the productivity measures tabled by Dublin Bus, which "would generate cost savings in excess of £9 million, without the need for any job losses or any impact on earnings".
The Minister said that the State's industrial relations machinery remained available to assist, where there was a basis for resumed negotiations. She told Opposition TDs, who were sharply critical, there had been high-level informal contacts between management and union representatives to find a way to bring the unofficial dispute to a speedy end.
Ms O'Rourke insisted that the way forward was for an immediate end to the unofficial industrial action followed by intensive negotiations.
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