LAST UPDATE | 2 Oct 2023
BUS ÉIREANN SERVICES are not operating in Limerick this morning due to “ongoing unofficial industrial action”, according to the company.
The strike action began yesterday and there were reports of people having to take taxis in order to get to work on time.
Bus Éireann confirmed the strike action is continuing today and that services will not run this morning.
“Due to ongoing unofficial industrial action taken by a small number of our employees, all services in Limerick are not operating this morning,” Bus Éireann said in a statement today.
“We understand that a large number of our customers in Limerick depend on our services to get around including for work, education, shopping and hospital appointments,” it said.
“We are disappointed at this action and the impact it is having on our customers and we have urged those employees involved in this unofficial, illegal action to reconsider their actions and immediately return to work,” the company added.
Bus Éireann said it is “continuing to make every effort to resolve this situation and would like to apologise to affected customers”.
Customers are being asked to check the ‘service updates‘ section of Bus Éireann’s website and social media channels for updates.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today, the National Bus and Rail Union’s general secretary Dermot O’Leary said members of the union are involved in the strike, but said he was not aware the unofficial action was to take place.
However, he said: “I did indicate to the company as far back as 19 September that there may very well be issues in certain areas in relation to … the forcing of change of terms and conditions on members.
“Unfortunately, my prediction has come to pass.”
O’Leary said that in his correspondence to Bus Éireann on 19 September that “if they were to unilaterally implement on 1 October” then he would be left with “no option” but to issue ballot papers to NBRU members in response.
“That’s the way we do business through the official channels and I will do that as of today, I will issue ballot papers to my members, but I would rather get a round table and discuss the issues and see if we can resolve them,” he said.
O’Leary said he encourage the NBRU members in Limerick to “go back to work and operate under protest”.
“I would impress upon my members they should be at work, working under protest if necessary. An unofficial action will not get us where we need to get,” he said.
One customer, who did not wish to be named, spoke to The Journal yesterday and expressed his frustration at the lack of information provided by the bus service.
“There was no announcement at all until after 11am, with nearly four hours’ worth of services not running at this point,” he said.
“I was at a bus stop at 9am trying to make it to the city to meet my partner who had finished a 24-hour shift in the hospital and had already waited one hour for a bus, after waiting an hour myself I had to return home and she was forced to pay for a taxi after two hours of waiting.
“It’s really crazy that a city the size of Limerick is currently without any form of public transport today.”
Vulnerable customers were also being affected, he said.
“I had to let an elderly women know there is no public transport as she was waiting to visit her sister and was unaware there was none and had been waiting a while.
“Just seems bad form to not give anyone any notice as it hit vulnerable people with no other option for transport in the city.”
With reporting by Hayley Halpin
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