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E-CIGARETTES COULD DAMAGE gums and teeth, according to a significant recent study on the effects of vaping on oral health.
The research, published in the journal Oncotarget, was led by Irfan Rahman, Ph.D., professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York.
It is the first scientific study to address e-cigarettes and their effect on oral health on cellular and molecular levels.
The study, available for download here, tested the effects of two varieties of e-cigarette vapour on gum cells.
Compared to cells that were exposed only to air, those exposed to the vapour showed greater effects of inflammation and harm.
“We showed that when the vapours from an e-cigarette are burned, it causes cells to release inflammatory proteins, which in turn aggravate stress within cells, resulting in damage that could lead to various oral diseases,” explained Rahman, who last year published a study about the damaging effects of e-cigarette vapours and flavourings on lung cells and an earlier study on the pollution effects.
“How much and how often someone is smoking e-cigarettes [sic] will determine the extent of damage to the gums and oral cavity.”
The study also found that the flavouring chemicals play a role in damaging cells in the mouth.
“We learned that the flavourings – some more than others – made the damage to the cells even worse,” added Fawad Javed, a post-doctoral resident at Eastman Institute for Oral Health, part of the UR Medical Center, who contributed to the study.
“It’s important to remember that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is known to contribute to gum disease.”
“More research, including long term and comparative studies, are needed to better understand the health effects of e-cigarettes,” added Rahman, who would like to see manufacturers disclose all the materials and chemicals used, so consumers can become more educated about potential dangers.
Electronic cigarettes continue to grow in popularity among younger adults and current and former smokers, especially in light of major recent studies from the UK’s Royal College of Physicians and Public Health England, indicating that, on the whole, they are vastly less harmful than conventional tobacco cigarettes.
Read: How bookies, e-cigarettes and kids meals can advertise changes today
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Transdev will not back down drivers will be lucky to get more than 5% increase.
A lot of the commentators here belong to Transdev. Casual readers beware. I never went to college. I am 45 years old. How much should I earn?
If they sack the drivers today they would have enough time to recruit and train new drivers before Paddys Day. Swing the axe Transdev.
I almost wish they tried your suggestion Mr. Gravytrain. Then we can watch as the entire public transport network grinds to a halt as the train, Dart and bus drivers all came out in defense of their sacked colleagues.
Complete Muppett
I’ve seen your nonsense of these stories for the last few weeks Wally. You seem blinkered by your strange view on worker’s rights; that they’re always in the right no matter what. I’m curious though, at what point would you think the luas drivers were asking for too much. Say they wanted 250k a year, two daily full body massages, 30 minute toilet breaks whenever they want and three months paid holidays a year. Would you still be behind them? What is the limit of your insanity is what I’m asking I guess?
Nothing is too good for the working class Mr. Seal. We create all of the real resources which support and enhance human life so therefore we should all collectively share in it.
The bottom line is that there is more than enough real wealth to provide everyone on the planet with proper nutrition, a decent home, healthcare, education and a job. It’s a political and ideological choice to deny people these basics and that ideology is called capitalism.
So if it’s insane to fight for a better world where everyone is taken care of and not just an increasingly tiny and obscenely pampered elite, then call me crazy. I’ll take it as a compliment.
Wally! Nationalised bus,dart and train drivers wouldnt lose sleep over you luas drivers. To them you are the thin edge of the wedge …ie privatisation and they would love to see luas crumble and quote it as a failed exercise in privatisation. Siptu are using luas staff,plain and simple, used as unwitting pawns.
So because most people disagree with the strike you seem to think that they all work for Transdev ? You’re gas …
McGinty,
Allowing the sacking of the Luas drivers (as Gravytrain suggests) and hiring others on diminished wages and working conditions would benefit Trandsev and guarantee the continued private operation of the Luas.
Both public and private sector workers ultimately share the same interests which is totally opposed to the interests of capital. Public and private sector are all members of the working class which consists of those who have been, currently are or will be required to sell their labour (manual or mental) in order to support themselves and their families. So this includes most workers, their children, pensioners, students, the unemployed etc. So the working class are the overwhelming majority in society and create the vast majority of wealth that humanity depends on.
(There are other workers e.g. police, senior civil servants, senior media, legal and financial professionals etc who technically sell their labour but their interests are so entwined with the interests of capital that they cannot be considered part of the working class.
The capitalist class are not required to sell their labour in order to support themselves. Instead they employ the working class in order to accumulate profit by confiscating the excess wealth which the workers create over and above their wages. In addition they rent out their accumulated assets money, property etc in order to extract more profit from the working class. The capitalist class represent a tiny minority in society but hold an extraordinary amount of power and yield it to sustain the system which serves them so well.
The capitalist system is preserved in large part by keeping the working class divided and fighting over the scraps so that we never look up and see who the real enemy is dining royally at our expense. They set us at each others throats under a variety of guises including religion, nationality, gender, race, working vs unemployed and of course public vs private sector, etc etc etc as they understand perfectly that a united working class means the end of their domination.
Hey no balls mcginty .Transdev are subsidised by the taxpayer to the tune of 1, 000e per day. Privately operated my ass. Get your facts straight. No balls
Eh…thanks for that Wally. No longer working class, all middle class. You wont see a dart or train driver risking their t&c’s by rushing to the aid of a luas driver. Will never happen.
@wally Reading half of the sh-t you post on this site it seems you don’t have a job and are probably unemployable with all your left left views We will never recover our economy with the views you have ,Try talking to people in the tourist industry and they will tell you we are getting people back into the country SPENDING good money it is starting to trickle downk to everyone conected to it So you want everyone on strike or looking for stupid pay increases. Get real please
I’m starting to think that Wally has nothing else to do, because you are commenting in every single thread, every single news during working hours, why don’t you concentrate your energy to send some CVs or if you work, by god, its only a matter of time before they find out how do you spend your time.
I’m starting to think that all the 3 red thumbs from every person who is against the Luas “Drivers” which is the vast majority, comes from Wallys Laptop, Phone and second PC.
You’re not even a socialist Wally, you’re a communist. Sure capitalism isn’t perfect but it delivers results when done correctly. It sounds like you’d be happy in an old Eastern Block country, that is until you had to get up at 3am to queue for bread. You seem to be labouring under the assumption that all those downvotes you’re getting are from die-hard capitalists. In reality they’re from everyday working/middle class people like myself who see the luas driver’s greed as similar to that of the bankers that ruined our economy. They’re asking for more than the value they bring. But according to you there is no limit to what they should receive because they’re “working class”. Your ignorance of economics is astounding! Sure we should just make the leaves on trees currency and be done with it.
Jesus are people still responding to Wally?! Ignore him and he’ll go away like most irritants.
Yeah I’m done with him. I actually had to go to work today whereas he seems to have infinite free time to comment on here. Ironic that he spends all his time defending the WORKING class. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt though; maybe he works for SIPTU.
@Wally, shut the fup up. You are so boring to listen to.. Sack all that come out in support too. Re train the lot of them with workers that are appreciative.. No worker has the right to hold a company to ransom..
By the way you have never said what you do for a living?? You spout on so much, why not enlighten us with what it is you do and how you contribute to the greater good
@Awkward Seal, hes such a moron. Knows nothing about the real world. Really people like him should be banished to an island and left there never to return.
Can no one else drive a tram?
No they won’t. Lucas drivers are a laughing stock
Give me 15 mins training….
Pure Greed By The Drivers, Union Not Much Better
If I say it once I’ll say it again. The unions have served their purpose we have laws now and we need a more modern application of employee protection organisations. A disgrace the way this company is being held to ransom.
Communism works well with bees, not so much with humans.
Suzie, it’s the same when you slag Sinn Fein, they think you are a member of YFG.
Me darlin….. how much should doctors be paid? How much should retail staff be paid? How much should a civil engineer be paid? It’s part dependent on the value we put on the job. The skills and education and length of training required to do the job…. Of which to be a Luas driver is relatively little on all counts The will have to foot the bill for this through higher fares.
@wally
I’m sure that once you put down Das Capital for 5 minutes, even you can see the foolishness inherent in a group of workers trying to wangle a 25% pay rise out of a company that is making losses of almost €1,000,000 per annum is just la-la land stuff.
The fact is that LUAS drivers are payed a decent wage. It’s the wage thy signed up for when they put their names on their contracts of employment.
There are MANY other people in this country with far more legitimate reasons to strike than these lads who earn €35-45k per annum.
Well Suzie, you’d have to ask the question why would people be so against other people trying to share in the success of their company. Transdev do not add value in this company. The workers do. They were employed by the Government to act as a buffer as they have no appetite to engage with transport workers when they ask for better conditions or pay. Austerity is delivered by a different means is all.
Wally I for one like the reams of material you post on here even though I rarely have time to read it but I get your message
But these Luas guys earn as much as I’ve earned all my working life, their job doesn’t seem so specialised though
Wally – I hear you and in some ways agree with your general philosophy of having us all stand together to protect workers rights and demand that all should be paid at least a living wage. We should also be paid according to the value, skills and effort we bring to the job without capitalists skimming an unfair amount off the top.
But in that ongoing war, you have picked the wrong battle. You are siding with a group of workers who are paid generously for an almost unskilled job – for a company that has no profits to give back.
In fact, you are doing other more hard-pressed workers a disservice- if these Luas drivers get their pay rise, then the fares will rise. People on 30k per year struggling to pay bills and mortgage will end up with less money in their pockets as their commute costs skyrocket.
Comrade mooney talks nothing but guff. His utopian rhetoric is .. Well it’s just that. his communist ways should be consigned to history .
@ Aideen , he won’t go away ,he is the the AAA social media agitator .
Wally swallowed “Das Capital” Karl Marx’s tome, at some point in his life and it is choking him to death.
Like everything,there are half truths in his ramblings, but the reality is, the big unions in Ireland only represent the public servants and Quangos-many of whom are happily swallowing the taxes paid for by the poor via big salaries and pensions.
Good old trickle down, so effective that the gap between the rich and the poor has been shrinking since the 70′s, that bosses are not earning over 100 times their workers wages. Horray for trickle down. Thank christ they are reinvesting eh, these same guys that invent everything. If it werent for the private industry we wouldnt have computers, cars, the internet, space travel etc etc. Oh wait
But these guys are taking the piss, they earn plenty for this job. Wall, I agree with a lot of what you say and we need people like you to prevent us from cutting off our noses to spite our faces but this is the wrong group to make your arguments about. Itll only weaken your valid points when they are truly needed.
Those companies employees are not colleagues of the Transdev drivers any more tha ‘builder’ in Dublin is mine (in the West). They may have a skill in common maybe, but that’s it. The scabs here are NBRU.
I’m no transdev man.
Your age has bumpkiss to do with how much yo should earn.
@Paul sent Transdev a congratulatory email of support…great to see they’re not backing down to complete BS from scab unions and scabby ‘workers’ stuck in the dark ages.
And if they did that then even more of the public would avoid using their services putting there own jobs in further jeopardy.
The next Government needs to ban the ability to strike on transport infrastructure that is vital for getting a lot of people to work.
The unions and the employees of Transdev by their actions have shown their absolute contempt for the working people of Dublin.
I hope the only thing the luas drivers get is their P45
Anyone else find themselves automatically giving Wally comments a dislike without evening reading them.
I also read thr Shinners and thats saying something!
And there’s always the bus!
Wally can you not see the contempt they showed for the general public choosing our national holiday and the commemorations of 1916? I think they completely shot themselves in the foot.
If unions are left to their devices we will all be paying through increased travel charges, lost tourism, lost productivity. Is this really solidarity, holding a city at ransom for personal excess? More the actions of carpet baggers.
@Wally – Still preaching the gospel of envy, are ya?
If the drivers are sacked wally, I might just apply for their job
Luas drivers are not on the same level as education ans skills required as teachers and workers. This is why they shouldn’t be paid the same or more. Go to Uni for 4 years and then ask for more cash
Ive just realised something… I’ve never been on the Luas….
No wonder you’re called wally
A real insight into the hard left ideology there – ie workers are always right and employers are always evil and exploitative.
The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other peoples money
Wally i’ve said it here loads of times , you are a hinderance to the left wing with your idiotic comments on here
The AAA gained 0 extra seats in the General Election, Your protest voter base will realise the AAA are capable of making zero change in the Dail and start voting accordingly for other realistic left wing parties and candidates
This unfortunate situation has minimal relevance to the occupants of county offaly and dail eireann..
Wally, copy-pasting the same comment on every article is hardly ‘showing solidarity’. I’m getting great enjoyment out of watching you trying to spin this as some sort of glorious battle of the workers instead of the obvious money-grab by already overpaid workers that it is.
jog on Wally. What Solidarity are they showing with the public? St. Patricks day and 1916 commemorations! and Who do you think will be paying their pay increase if they get it?
Patrick Gough,
You should understand that at a macro government/central bank level, it’s not possible to run out of fiat currency money. There can always be as much (or as little) money circulating in the economy as there needs to be to create full employment and control inflation. Governments (except the ones in the monetary trap of the euro) spend their own currency into existence at will and then tax it back out of circulation in a continuous flow. Fundamentally, money is just a tool to measure and allocate resources.
In contrast, the real wealth of goods and services that we all depend on is created by the labour and skill of the working class from the raw material of the planet. . Everything from the food in our bellies to the clothes on our backs right up to the most sophisticated technology is made by the workers.
Money is a claim on that real wealth produced by the working class and this is where money derives it’s power. The capitalist system peddles the illusion that there is a shortage of money (balance the books, reduce the deficit, live within your means, money doesn’t grow on trees etc) in order to oppress and control the working class who are the real creators of wealth
I’m sure ya do wally – don’t let a bit of common sense and a quick cut & paste job get in the way of you snatching a bit of attention, eh?
Will,
Here’s a clip you might understand. (Thanks to J for the reminder)
“I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.”
Didnt take long… copy&paste Wally is back with his nonsense to entertain all. Wally the luas driver union representative, under cover of course.
Wally the right wing vultures are circling and the whats in it for me brigade and if they were dealing with employers of a dubious nature they would be screaming…
I hope the workers get a decent deal as most employers in this country are disgusting in their treatment of workers and the pay issue is only one of many issues with transdev…
Wally stop being a WALLY. The tram drivers are not in the same league as nurses Garda teachers or doctors. The tram drivers have a great wage compared to the aforementioned.
“Most employers in this country are disgusting” Well you’ve obviously never had a job with a stupid remark like that
Think the name says it all… a “Wally”….
Fghq? Well that’s some leap to make. As for the dole, I’m sitting here at my desk happily working away(and reading the news) for the wage I agreed to take when I signed my contract. Not whinging and stamping my feet because I can’t have a ludicrous pay rise for no reason at all
They have reason to ask for a pay rise and mark my words they will get on as for you sheep, keep on eating the grass..
Fail Gael what a ridiculous generalisation to make. There are bad employers everywhere but there are far more decent people just trying to keep their business afloat and their employees paid.
Well you’re obviously a luas worker given your childish comments, good luck with your strike
@Wally – Your comment don’t annoy us at all. Some of us just find your ideology of the ‘lazy’ and the ‘entitled’ rather pathetic.
Fail, If they get anything, it will be goven with one hand and taken back with the other hand over time. Long after a strike is over, there will be payback from management. They gave overly generous wages and it created a monster, over time it will be readdressed. Luas drivers (especially their union representatives) got this very wrong and they talked things up so much im sure they made themselves believe they had a genuine claim. I dont believe the p45s are far away now. Luas drivers should run a mile from the current situation., vote out the current union representatives, get back to work and attempt to secure 2 to 3% increase if the management are willing to provide it in order to draw a line under this mess.
Pretty much the same as capitalism so!
Just one question for you Wally. Who pays for the capital investment for plant, buildings, training, planning permission fees before the worked creates the wealth. On the same logic can you confirm that the worker will stump up his share of the losses if the business makes a loss
China ?. North Korea spring to mind
christ teachers get mentioned the whole time these people have at least 5 months off every year their hourly rate of pay putts them as ridiculously highly paid and they never stop moaning and threatening strike.
So what do the Gàrdai do?eh nothing walk through Dublin city centre day or night you won’t find one!
It’s Micheál Wally. I’d say get it right but for you that would be a stretch.
This langer back again!!
What a Wally. The luas drivers should share transdev’s losses.
Wally, in the 16 century, the food in our bellies and clothes on our backs were indeed produced by workers.
also remember they are paid more than bus drivers who have to do retraining every year and have to deal with traffic passengers cash and a lot more luas drivers have the cosiest job in transport
I’m loving this Wally bashing, keep it going lads
These guys are already on over 40k a year and wanted it increased to 60k. They have seriously misjudged their own importance and the mood of the public.
It’s more like €45k to €55k, retention of their €5k good performance bonus and an increase of pension contributions from 5% to 10%. All of that for a job which only takes a few weeks of training and requires no previous qualifications for an alleged future increase of workload which has been statistically proven to be a complete fabrication.
They want free GP care extra annual leave, extra sick pay on top of their pay claim.
The LUAS runs grand at the minute, watch these clowns in SIPTU turn it into a rail-bound version of the mess that is Bus Éireann.
Hopefully these same buses can be used to take the Luas drivers to the dole office.
Good on them. The greedy drivers are really fighting a losing battle and they have a very small minority supporting them.
This is gone beyond ridiculous. You dubs wanna take the power back ! These Guys are laughing at ye and gonna get a handy pay cheque for doing so
My mate is a luas driver. Said he is being asked to check tickets and drive the luas at the same time which is unheard of.
@john Unheard of except for every bus driver everywhere since the early 1990s.
Jesus… tough gig
That’s incorrect! How can they check tickets from a secure cab??
John…you got a lotta mates..funny ones..
John, if anything that just goes to show how desperate the Luas drivers are to make up a justification for this strike. They’re claiming that the Luas Cross City will result in increased workloads for the drivers so they need more money. Transdev have already shown that 24 new drivers and 6 new ticket inspectors will be hired full-time and that no net increase of workload for current staff in these areas will result.
Those groups in Transdev who have proven that an increased workload will result from the new line are currently in meaningful discussions with Transdev. Those who cannot are being ignored.
Iam sure this request was not just sprung upon their “job spec” as they would have been out striking a long time ago.. they are looking for 50% hike but accept 30%…. how about accepting more work then for more money… seems fair enough..
John…you are really hooking them…love it!
Ya but they are being asked to use new technology so they feel they have a claim. They are being asked to drive the trams using virtual reality head sets and check tickets at the same time. Hardly fair.
God help them being asked to get with new technology…welcome to the tech era….. good to upskill and all that. Its hardly fair they accepted jobs at a certain pay scale and then a few years later want 50% more wages..for what reason?, if they didn’t like the pay in first place then don’t take the job. It was prob you and your Luas friend that gave me the two thumbs down earlier as well. You can be sure there is no sympathy for the Luas drivers on this article…
It’s absolutely fair. Jobs evolve all the time. That’s how the world works. The luas drivers are lazy and greedy. It really is that simple.
Good on ya John keep her going! :D
I have never since the day the luas started seen a driver move out of his cab never mind get out and check a ticket. Your talking pure tripe.
Haha VR headsets. Lads he’s messing with you. And it’s funny.
All the govt’s fault. They should not be investing in cross city. Just imagine how much luas drivers would expect to be paid if the luas network was as big as London underground.
New technology? We can’t have that, now can we.
Should luas trams be steam powered. ? The suggestion is new technology=more pay!
To be fair, virtual reality headsets are not easy to operate while checking tickets. My friend who is a luas driver for 4 years now thinks that extra work checking tickets deserves extra pay.
@ John transdev & Samsung oculus rift VR have paired up.
Samsung don’t make the oculus rift and have nothing to do with it. Facebook own oculus rift.
Nice of transdev to show their priorities are to the passengers. The drivers and the unions just don’t give a hoot about the commuter.
If transdev cared about passengers they’d be trying to stop the strike, not poking the union’s and getting them even more angry!
If they “stop poking the union’s [sic]” by giving into their ridiculous pay claims where to you think the money is going to come from to pay for their demands?
You guessed it, the customer’s pockets.
They don’t need to give in to any pay claims, simply show a bit of respect for the union reps…
What happens currently is they meet with union reps and instead of constructive talks they say no and tell the media they’re all looking for a 53% increase instead of engaging with the union’s and trying to knock that figure down to something they can afford…
Transdev using the good old divide and conquer trick and sadly to see from the posts here that it is working!
Absolutely deranged these Luas drivers are.
53% pay increase (initially)
Striking on our national holiday and our 100 year commemoration of 1916 rising.
They’re nothing short of an embarrassment to our country; greedy, inept and delusional also spring to mind.
Its a pity Dublin Bus don’t operate a proper service on the day – usually about an hour between buses when everyone making their way home from city centre.
It usually drives me to drink…
It seems that only the AAA-PBP and the not so bright leadership of SIPTU that support this strike. Everyone else sees it as nothing more than a baseless money grab.
Probably cause nothing good on radio at that time….. since they are now allowed to listen to radio on bus…
Services every hour? It’s every 1.5 hours in cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway
It always amazed me how the CIE groups run curtailed services on Sundays and public holidays, then they complain that the private companies are running more services on these days!
Did they not fire them greedy feckers yet?
Hardly or you wouldn’t be txting or maybe you would
Transdev should dismiss the driver and bring the dispute to head. Apart for solving the problem it will give Paul Murphy and his thugs another reason to take to the streets.
Funny i havent heard any comments from Paul Murphy threatening to organise any marches to support these overpaid drivers. By the way there were thousands of people marching with Paul Mutphy and other politicians and i can assure you they are not thugs. I’m a bit bemused as to why you even mentioned Paul Murphy in relation to this matter and not the minister actually responsible for this matter.
Murphy and Co are dependent on public support for their jobs – and there is pretty much no public support for the LUAS staff here, least of all the drivers. He’s a waste of space but smart enough to stay well away from this mess.
The Unions, however, aren’t reliant on public support and will happily burn them to get what they want.
Theres a minister actually responsible for this?
We don’t have a Minister for Greedy Unions.
He actually took time off campaigning to ‘show solidarity’ with them on the picket line. Well, at least Murphy won’t have a problem if there’s a strike. He can pay for taxis with the €80 he claims in tax free expenses seven days a week on top of his salary. And yes, I know, FF and FG TDs claim it too. But they;re not the ones claiming to be ‘socialists.’ Murphy is about as ‘socialist’ as Donald Trump
Agree. They should do a ‘Ronald Regan’ who fired 11,000 air traffic controllers who did not return to work within 48 hrs.
that’s between transdev and their employees – we should just terminate transdevs contract. I’m sure there are plenty of operators who could take this on (and there will be a whole load of unemployed trained drivers looking for work, at any salary)
To terminate the contract there would have to be solid legal grounds to do so. There isn’t. Illegally doing so would result in a legal challenge from Transdev against the state which would cost taxpayers millions.
If the SIPTU allow a strike on the 100 year anniversary of the uprising they should be ashamed of themselves and there leaders should be sacked immediately by the members.
Public Transport should be free on St. Patricks day…
Every other person getting on a bus is a tourist asking where to get off, counting out change in a currency they are not used to or trying to use a €5/10 note.
Nah, that’s all the culchies!!
I’d support any workers trying to improve pay and conditions..but the luas drivers are already well paid..for an admittedly stressful job..their employer is running at a loss..work together,get the company profitable..then they can justify additional pay..
I this totally support Transdev in this dispute.
Nonetheless the bus drivers providing this service on Patricks Day are going to be targets
PBP and other Looney Lefties support these jokers.
You do realise that SIPTU, an organisation which has very close ties to your beloved Labour party, are responsible for this right?
Beloved? Lols.
SIPTU is part of the Looney Left.
driverless light rail can’t come soon enough
I hope they provide p45′s for them delusional Luas Drivers too..
Interesting to note that Richard Boyd Barrett was pictured happily supporting the luas drivers. He was nominated for taoiseach also which made me laugh. The luas was in part paid for by Irish taxpayers. It should remain in state control and there should be a ban on striking(like with the guards) on key state infrastructural facilities. It cannot be that a small group hold this key facility to ransom. It is an attack on us all. The likes of the AAA RBB supporting these people is a joke. The same people calling for better healthcare schools etc. The money used to build the Luas could have built many hospitals and schools but instead it was invested(wisely IMO) in the luas. The greed for these people is incredible. It should not be tolerated and the law needs to be changed to stop them and others from doing this again. If you don’t like your job get another one. If your too thick to get another job, be thankful for what you’ve got.
SIPTU should be declared an illegal organisation. Unions are a scourge of modern Ireland. Unless union members are efficient in their jobs unions don’t work. The fact is they are far from efficient, so there is no place for unions in the modern age.
Patrick in your idyllic Ireland world children would still be going up chimneys and down sewers if you had you way
.
I’m glad you’ve never had need of a Union, Patrick. It’s like insurance, nobody wants anything to do with it until they find themselves in hot water.
These drivers should be given a pay cut and not an increase, sitting on their ass all day pressing two buttons stop and go!! They are an absolute joke, people of Ireland should strike to have their wages cut!! @Wally how dare you compare them to doctors or nurses they don’t come close to it. Trained for 6 weeks and not the good guts of 7-10yrs ya gobsite!! Its ridiculous comments like yours that have them being so greedy!! Arseholes the lot of them, I’ve yet to meet a person who is actually agreeing with them.
SIPTU are in a little bubble of their own on this one led astray by Jack O’Connor – doing damage to our city and undermining public support for unions.
Semi skilled job ( one of the few jobs available in the 21st century sans degree) crazy increase demands which is insulting to the Irish working public who have to cope with zero hours contracts and are lucky if their annual ? Increase is 2 or 3 or 4 %. Whover owns or runs the Luas should tell them to go back to work or the company will be wound up. SIPTU who in their previous incarnation as the ITGWU played such an honourable role in the whole 1916 debacle, should be ashamed.
They should just save face at this stage and agree to re-visit the issue as soon as Transdev are profitable.
When Springfield got a monorail the brain dead slobs got cushy jobs.
that one has been flogged to death at this stage Niall.
Luas Driver Admits He Is ‘Living The Dream’ – https://doleobserver.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/luas-driver-admits-he-is-living-the-dream/
Celtic Tiger Has Returned.
That’s total nonsense.
Transdev playing a blinder, they have rattled the NBRU, hopefully BE and DB have the valls to do it next time the NBRU call a strike.
When the public do not support a strike you know its wrong. Two sides to every story but the timing has pissed Joe public off. I feel sorry for the tourist most
The Dublin tramway company is late getting in on all the centenary celebrations with a commemorative lock-out of the tram drivers. But this isn’t 1913 and it might not not end well for them. The spirit of Larkin and Connolly may haunt them yet.
This is a pissing contest between the various trade unions. SIPTU won the right to be the sole representative Union for tram drivers and now other unions want a piece of the action so SIPTU need to justify their existence. Their only mistake was biting off more than they could chew with Transdev.
Who are these scabs driving the buses scabs scabs scabs
Normal people trying to make a living
I would drive one for free if asked
I’d like to know who these drivers are as well. I’d especially like for the government to push forward with the previously discussed plans for ‘Volunteer and Active Citizenship awards’ and have these bus drivers nominated.
The real Scabs are Luas drivers earning very good wage for a low level simple job and trying to screw the company with stupid wage increase demands while sticking up 2 fingers at the commuters
Shame on the Drivers and them useless f***s SIPTU who sat on there hands during the recession and let everybody worker the represented ( both public and private sector ) gert screwed over .
The initial 10.6% pay rise over 5 years is a bit much, the reduction to 6% over five years and other benefits is still too much for transdev. Although some of the higher grades are coming close to an agreement the drivers are still going to strike.
How will that work as regards fares n that, will you be buying Luas tickets and travelling by bus
Regan fired over 11,000 air traffic controllers in the 80s. Someone needs to do likewise here too… The Luas operates two unconnected lines, surely there can’t be that many drivers?
They want to go from €43000 to €55000 . No Fecken way.
Memo too S
Scab Labour .boycott the scab buses .
Fair play to transdev, this is a great kick in the teeth to the greedy drivers
the luas drivers will picket and block the busses from operating.
I doubt they’d have the balls to do that
of course they would do you think they are going to loose wages in a strike campaign and let busses operate ?
They can’t Paul, that is classed secondary picketing and is outlawed under the 1990 industrial relations act. Not only could they face jail but they can also be pursued personally for any loss of revenue arising from their actions. Their assets including their house can be seized. Not many people are aware of the detail of the act and its extraordinary powers as it has not been used to my knowledge but its on the statute books all the same. SIPTU are well aware of it and steer carefully around it as they too could be liable in certain circumstances.
I know stuff me!
Let them picket the buses trying to provide much-needed transport services for the general public on Ireland’s national holiday. It’ll destroy what little public support is left for this obvious money-grab.
true it is called secondary picketing David now it will be a standoff between the drivers and the cops but be under no dillusion this will be what happens the unions are on radio as I type saying it is inflammatory and will be resisted.
Lunatic unions out of touch totally
Surely they can bring other drivers in for those strike days.. why should the public be affected by their greed!
Thank you transdev…….I will be availing of the transport you are so kindly putting on for me and my family over the holiday period. I will gladly walk past this greed ridden picket with my head held high…….and laugh while I show my kids what greed looks like!.#wantmoremone #geteducated #getarealjob
Are these clowns still looking for 50% or whatever ? Have they backed down at all ? It’s not surprising that transdev don’t want to engage with them looking at their demands . Give them 7% and call it a day. But until the drivers representatives come out with realistic figures transdev won’t engage and who would blame them.
Easy to say “sack them all” when it’s not you or your family affected by this (mine aren’t either by the way but there’s 2 sides to every story)…….Or maybe you and your loved ones ARE affected because you have to use an alternative mode of transport during this dispute – like what you had to do before the LUAS. It’s not like you’re trapped in rural Ireland with no transport at all. Nobody WANTS to be on strike so a LITTLE bit of empathy wouldn’t go astray!
Passa , have empathy for the commuters not people who are in a well paid job already and are looking for more money . greed is the only word for it
No need to ask, he’s a LUAS operator. Apologies
I’ve never passed a picket in my life, official, or unofficial. I may not always have agreed with the reasons for the strike, but i respected the picket line. I support the Luas strikers. I dont know all the ins and outs, and i mistrust the national media to give a fair and balanced account of the problems on both sides of the dispute. Most workers in the country have been hammered on pay, conditions and penal taxes for the last number of years. I am happy to see a group of workers seek to better their pay and conditions, justified or not. After all, we are the fastest growing economy in Europe, why shouldn’t workers claim their share. Why leave it all to the banks, bondholders, vulture funds, Government TD’s Ministers,their advisors, senior civil and public servants, IW and their exclusive perks salaries and conditions. I don’t hear the same level of moaning against those parasites.
If you don’t know the ins and outs go look them up.
The drivers are earning over €40k a year and are demanding a huge increase in that owing entirely to their own greed.
They are not under paid, they are not treated badly by their employer, they are not working in poor conditions.
It’s got f**k all to do with politicians, banks, bondholder, Denis O’Brien, Irish Water or any nonsense like that.
Alan, i did try looking it up. Never found what i consider a balanced account about the dispute. Some drivers are earning what you say, but that’s after 9yrs service. There’s only 170 drivers, so few enough are on that money.
The treatment and condemnation of the workers has a lot to do with politicians,advisors, bankers, bondholders, Dennis O Brien, IW and its employees. They seem to have no problem stuffing their pockets with as much as they can grab. Yet, dare an ordinary worker try and better him/her self and you would think the world is going to end such is the outrage against them.
Dave There the same faces in the driver window year after year so id say most are on 8 or 9 years in the job. Why would someone leave such a cushy number for a general worker with no specific skills required. They signed up to a contract of employment, now they want to change the agreed t&c’s. Attempted theft, thats what it is.
iornballs, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I expressed mine. Looks like most dont agree with me, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.
Accepted Dave. Wouldnt be worth looking at comments if we were always in complete agreement.
If you get on one of the scabby bus you’re a SCAB . Going to drive into O O’Connell for St Patrick’s Day or is it a recreation of the 1913 lockout of Tram Drivers ,when strike breakers were used .It your decision Joe public ,patriotic or strike breaker
Ivan Luas drivers -layabout wasters Bus drivers- patriotic hardworking people supporting the public, tourism, the nation and their own families. How dare you target them , they are willing to work. How dare you compare it to the 1913 lockout… completely different conditions.
Big companies, corporations, will do this across the country if they get away with this,cheap labour,and turn citizen against citizen. Stop them now.
Mdmac, “Cheap labour” are you feeling ok?
Scab bus drivers skum of the earth
TOSSER
As I was told years ago…”the only thing constant is change” – they’re lucky to have good comfortable jobs – just get on with it – if it’s really as bad as they are trying to make out why don’t they have an all out strike instead of these ‘we got you’ 1 day strikes – that’s just vindictiveness
The initial pay claims that were lodged were outrageous and the drivers have very little public support .
Both Siptu and the drivers know that this has been a pr disaster from the start .
Now the nbru are throwing there oar in , there great guys for holding the country to ransom as they see fit .
The days of unions holding the country to ranson are over
There’s a simple solution.
TransDev give the drivers what they want.
End result: no more strikes.
This is 1913 all over again, using “scap” outside labour to come in and replace the workers on strike. Those buses
should not be allowed run.
Times have changed Charles, when these drivers loose the respect of the public it’s become a loosing battle. All they are doing is hurting the people who supply their wage. All these drivers are doing is driving a deeper wedge between themselves & the public. Now their going to ruin a huge day of fun for families & especially children on our big national holiday, it’s become a farce now. I wouldn’t call it scab labour, I’d call it common sense. These drivers still have time to serve the public & sort their agreivement out in another way!
Nothing has changes Liam, its a repeat of 1913 and the William Martin Murphy and Independent Newspaper/Freemans Journal school of thought and tactics.
No balls mcginty. Get your facts straight. Transdev subsidised to the tune of 1000e per day by the taxpayer private operator. Don’t think so. Talk facts .no balls
These drivers are insane, they are part of the infrastructure of a country. Replace them with software.
Reading the comments here it’s easy to understand the position ordinary people in the country find themselves in. Why we have liars in government. Why it’s so easy for political parties to renage on any promise they might have made prior to being elected. Why they in fact do it. How it was so easy to impose such draconian austerity measures on a people. Why people bent over so easily and just took it. Why water will be privatised sooner rather than later. How banks can indulge in an orgy of evictions. Why we have the health service we have. Why that will be privatised, again sooner than later. Why banks, governments, NAMA, O Brien,et.al. can get away with the wholesale corruption they carry on with total impunity. Why it was so easy to turn what was a respected police force into a political weapon to be used to keep the people in their place.
It’s like looking at Oliver Twist being turned on by those who have nothing for daring to ask for more gruel from the masters.
Transdev are dead right, clearly the current drivers think they are irreplaceable…… sorry to say but we’re all expendable. Luas drivers are way over paid for the job they do. No business should be held to ransom.
Meanwhile Dublin Bus profits skyrocket….. Clever ploy by Dublin Bus inciting a strike with Luas Drivers
have your say