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TRADE UNIONS TAKING part in the strike at Bus Éireann staged a defiant protest outside the gates of the Dáil this afternoon. Speakers repeatedly called on Shane Ross to take action to end the bitter dispute at the transport operator.
The protest – which was attended by around 400 to 500 people, and which organisers said was put together at short notice – was timed to coincide with the Transport Minister’s testimony to an Oireachtas committee today.
Ross has repeatedly said he won’t intervene in the dispute. Speaking today he said he was keen to see the crisis resolved but that he would “not be dictating to management and unions about their internal issues”.
Uniformed Irish Rail and Dublin Bus workers also attended this afternoon’s march and protest, which made its way from Parnell Square to Kildare Street, where speeches were staged shortly before lunchtime.
Dermot O’Leary of the NBRU said it was curious that Ross claimed to be unable to get involved in the dispute – noting that he had seen fit to involve himself with a number of causes that had nothing to do with his transport portfolio, including judicial appointments and the campaign to reopen Stepaside Garda Station, which is located in his south Dublin constituency.
“He certainly fulfilled his step aside in terms of being Minister for Transport,” O’Leary said, to cheers.
O’Leary said that he expected “nothing more” from Ross, or “the Blueshirts”.
He went on to call out other members of Ross’s Independent Alliance grouping, including John Halligan, Finian McGrath, Sean Canney and Kevin Boxer Moran.
“Hang your heads in shame,” O’Leary said.
The strike centres on a dispute between workers and management at the semi-State company, with the latter claiming that its worsening financial situation requires cuts and changes to employee contracts.
Bus Éireann told employees last week that it would introduce these cost-saving measures without agreement, and unions announced an all-out strike which began at midnight on Thursday last.
Steve McKelvey, chairman of the Cork branch of the NBRU, said he was disappointed Shane Ross hadn’t come out to address drivers today.
“It will only be resolved when there’s talks [...] but nobody seems to want to talk,” he told TheJournal.ie.
The NBRU and other unions would resist any attempts to try and reinvent the company as a “low cost operation,” McKelvey said.
Workers were not prepared to “give away,” the progress they had made in the last number of decades, he insisted.
There had been concerns there would be disruption to Dublin Bus and to rail services today, if union members decided to attend the Kildare Street protest.
Services were running as normal however – although there were diversions to buses in Dublin due to the march taking place.
Dublin Bus and Irish Rail workers are set to be balloted next week for industrial action – part of a solidarity move.
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I spent about an hour with him once & I can assure you he is an absolute gent, it was after his illness & he asked me what did I think of the show without him fronting it, I was honest & said shi*e & he laughed for about two minutes & then said “we will leave it there so”
What a joke. RTE need to get rid of him from their current affairs section so just ask him if there is anything he’d like to do. Like most people Bill has a passing interest in sport so they give him that gig, 100 years later and he’s still doing a job he clearly was never qualified to get
And the a$shole of the day award goes to….. Paul, internet troll and all round little sh*t
Paul’s comment was made on November so I will have to remove his a$shole of the day award. Still a douche comment mind you.
Your a fukin knob!!!
If that was aimed at me I’m gonna have to pull the whole Your/You’re card
Great guy…European and World Cup nights just won’t be the same without him.
A wonderful sports presenter. Does the job of being “john everyman” superbly. All ou have to do is compare him to Linekar and Chiles to see what a gem we have.
In fairness to him at least he waited till he was in his 70′s to right about his life…. Not like the gombeens these days.Tho I have always had a quite neutral view on him as a presenter and of course don’t know him personally , I have zero interest in reading his book , especially now he has endorsed a fraudster and thief.
We’ll wrap it up there so
Okey doke!
A brilliant TV presenter with a lighthearted approach to the job, not many like him in RTE, I wish him well.
Why does he need a book?! His job was to talk about football…we hardly need a career summary!
Ah Jesus Creamy, give Billo a break. He’s an institution.
While I wouldn’t be interested myself in his book, I’m sure there are people who would be interested in his life/career. Good luck to him.
It’s a genuine question, I honestly don’t know who the hell would read this? Please someone explain why this would be worth reading?
In a way I agree with creamy, its hardly going to be a nail biter.
Pity to see him go but Darragh maloney will do a good job of filling his boots in my opinion, he’s likeable and let’s the lads have their rants.
I can’t wait to read Sean Quinn’s book when it comes out. I hope he is able to start on the first draft over the next few weeks. No doubt it will be a ‘best seller’
I’d read his book, he is a fantastic guy with a great attitude.
Okey dokey.
Creamy maybe you need to read the book so, since you think he is only a football presenter. Doubt I’d have any interest in a FG sycophant’s book but he is far more than a football presenter!
At least Billo’s written it at a fitting time in his life, unless other opportunistic gobdaws like Jordan or Joe Duffy.
That Gaybo is mad for money he will never retire I wonder has he still the motorbike U2 gave him for a present.
He is mad for money because he had it stolen on him and years later he lost more when property dropped. That bike was sold for charity years ago.
FG shill
RIP Bill. A legend.
Hugh, why was my comment removed??
Gaybo and Bill are exactly like the politicians with various income streams and addicted to money and power. Our kids are emigrating and these people keep on taking. The greed is incredible. Yet they claim to be such nice people. Give somebody else a chance lads and retire Please.
Haha you’re funny. .if you gunna talk like that. .talk about everyone
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