Mr Leo Varadkar  & Mr Alan Kelly

23rd May 2014

Re: Privatisation of Dublin Bus/Bus Éireann Routes

Dear Ministers,

You will be aware that this Trade Union is currently engaged in a community-based campaign of opposition to your Government’s policy with regard to the privatisation of bus routes.

The support from the travelling public has been rewarding in terms of what they themselves describe as their services, their bus drivers.

Notwithstanding our resolve to continue with our opposition to what is both an anti-worker policy and an undermining of the citizens’ public transport system, we have been in correspondence over recent weeks with the NTA and both Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann.

This correspondence essentially revolves around where the responsibility will lie for those staff who would find themselves directly affected by this government-initiated policy.

The responses from the stakeholders frankly leave a lot to be desired; in fact the sum total of their response could be described as “sending us from billy to jack” in terms of who is, or who may be responsible for surplus staff in the event of a tender being awarded to a company other than the incumbent companies.

You will be aware from our meeting on the 22nd November 2013 that you both gave a commitment that the NTA would engage in a consultative process with the Trade Unions; no such process has commenced to date.

The apparent ambivalence being adopted by your department on this issue is one that we find incongruous in terms of its remit regarding the provision of a public transport system for the citizens of the state.

Effectively forcing workers to react in order to highlight the indifference being shown by those who are undermining their future by making ideologically based policy decisions is no way to ensure such transport provision will continue uninterrupted.

Failure to accept that bus workers should have a say on their industry only serves to bring that reaction closer to reality.

Yours Sincerely

____________

DERMOT O’LEARY

General Secretary

Copy/ Mr Gerry Murphy CEO NTA