BUS Eireann has announced it will eliminate two-person operated (TPO) buses on its city services from March 31st, writes Padraig Yeates, Industry and Employment Correspondent.
The company has also announced it intends extending its, minibus services in Waterford area from March 31st. Bus Eireann has proposed Friday for a meeting with the unions to discuss the change. However, the general secretary of the National Bus and Bail Workers Union, Mr Peter Bunting, says his union will not attend.
He said yesterday he was "annoyed the media gets this edict before the proposals have been discussed with the unions. Nothing will happen without agreement."
He had written to the company on Monday proposing talks about OPO and minibus services. Instead of responding, it had announced its own proposals and an implementation date. "They haven't learnt one lesson from the events of the past couple of months," he said.
The unions would adhere to their existing strategy that issues within the three CIE companies could not be negotiated in isolation.
Bus Eireann says it has been seeking to introduce OPO routes to provincial urban centres for 30 years. It had surveyed drivers and was offering range of options, from voluntary severance to redeployment and career breaks.
A spokesman said it was being reasonable in its approach and in proposing March 31st as the implementation deadline. This is also the deadline for conclusion of discussions on the three viability plans for CIE's three subsidiary companies.