Unofficial Bus Strike...

Twilightning

Does anyone know if this is to continue?

Jonathan

SickCert wrote: »

Its not all drivers, i love the job and happily drove my passengers in today.

A very small group under the name of the 'Busworkers action group' OR 'Independant workers union' that throw a few guys on the gate and intimidate the good workers that show up for their duty.
There are reports of more widespread randoms pickets tomorrow of a few guys here and there - BUT official union reps will be also on the scene to make sure they have access to their depots without threats.

Most i spoke to today accept its going to be chaos for 2 weeks while things change, but they have accepted it and they want to work.

Well Done.

Jonathan

Alan Rouge wrote: »

From After Hours after the lock :

Workers in France are uniting . Irish people instead just ****ing whinge, complain and turn it inward on themselves. People talk about being grateful to have a job ? Makes me f'n sick. Each and every person has a right to a quality life and a right to work . It's not a privilege.

The Irish attitude typified by this kind of tripe is utterly shocking to me.

So fair fucking play to them drivers standing up for themselves and their job.

Alan, do you mind me asking are you a student or are you employed?

And if so, public or private sector?

thebman

jaybird wrote: »

Less of the scum you selfish fool, you clearly don't care about anyone as long as you're ok. Well don't go crying to the bus drivers when soon enough there are NO BUSES and you are stranded.

Lol, Dublin Bus is the last place that cares about people of any kind. Each man out for himself. Employer V Employee sticking in groups that serve their own selfish interest at the expense of the public.

Privatise this piece of crap company and let its workers try apply for jobs with the private companies and see how many are hired with their requested work practices.

Of course there will be buses in a private bus system and they may even turn up on time unlike Dublin Buses which might not turn up at all.

A dispute over a timetable when the buses don't turn up on time anyway is fooking stupid.

As for privatising the buses, well go ahead, as long as you don't mind that only people living in profitable areas will have a bus service. There'll be hundreds of buses in Blackrock and Foxrock and Ranelagh, and none in Ballymun, Finglas and Darndale. All those grannies and people with passes can walk everywhere.

Loads of ways around that, for every number of routes covered a private operator could be required to take on an unprofitable route. Since they are more efficient and more willing to change than a heavily unionised company like Dublin Bus, some of these routes could become profitable in the right hands.

None of you have a clue how the buses work, what the funding is like, or what the job is like. You care when you bus doesn't arrive, and sod anyone who has to drive it as long as you get to where you are going.

That is the general idea of a passenger especially a commuter trying to get to work. They shouldn't have to worry about management and staff disputes, it shouldn't effect them. In a private system, you could just use a competitors service. Dublin Bus should resolve its issues internally and not attack the public and the service to try to get their way.

They are obviously incapable of this and cannot be let continue to be crap at what they do. You can keep going on about employee's and management but you are all Dublin Bus and the organisation doesn't work so must be changed or shut down.

Selfish people who get the services they deserve, from a government that treats them with contempt, and who bend over and ask for more. I think most are ust jealous that they haven't the backbone to stand up for themselves in their own jobs and hate those who do.

Lol as opposed to the workers in Dublin Bus who are gods of the people working only in their interest :rolleyes:

Most people work with their employers to resolve issues they don't strike and make demands and try to screw over their customers.

mdebets

thebman wrote: »

Loads of ways around that, for every number of routes covered a private operator could be required to take on an unprofitable route.

You mean like private developers are required to provide a certain percentage of their developments as affordable housing?
Never going to work in Ireland.

thebman

mdebets wrote: »

You mean like private developers are required to provide a certain percentage of their developments as affordable housing?
Never going to work in Ireland.

No I mean a real system not a make sure the boys are alright system.

markpb

thebman wrote: »

No I mean a real system not a make sure the boys are alright system.

Can you give me a single privatised system in Ireland that is properly regulated by the government? Telecoms? Banks?

I'm not against privatisation per se, I just don't think we would have the political will to make it work. It costs *a lot* of money to run a decent bus service. It requires a very strong regulator. It requires enough business to make it worthwhile private companies entering the market. It requires an integrated ticketing system. We don't have any of those now, why would we suddenly have them if bus services in Dublin were privatised?

kravmaga

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0427/dublinbus.html

Commuters hit by Dublin Bus strike
Monday, 27 April 2009 19:38
Dublin commuters are facing further disruption this evening due to unofficial industrial action at Dublin Bus.

Two depots at Clontarf and Harristown have been affected by the action which led to the cancellation of 29 routes this morning.

A number of drivers returned to work this afternoon. However, there are still no buses on 23 routes.

Services on a further 14 routes, mostly on the north side of the city, have been curtailed.

Gardaí have advised motorists that all bus lanes on affected routes will be open to all traffic from 4.30pm until 7pm.

Limited service: 4, 27, 29a, 31, 32/b, 37x, 38/a, 38b/c, 39, 39x, 41, 41x, 42/a/b, 103, 130, 237.

Cancelled routes: 4a, 13/13a, 17a, 27b, 27x, 31b, 32a, 32x, 33b, 40/a/b/c/d, 42, 42a, 43, 53/a, 83, 102, 104, 128, 140, 142, 238, 239, 270.

The dispute follows the suspension of one driver who refused to work a new schedule on the 128 route.

The new schedule forms part of agreed measures designed to cut costs by €31m.

AdvertisementAfter lengthy discussions, both unions and management accepted a labour court recommendation. This saved the jobs of the probationary drivers, allowed 80 senior drivers to take voluntary redundancy, and involved new work practices.

The recommendation said the new work practices should have been introduced by yesterday, but when a driver refused to operate the new rules yesterday he was suspended.

As a result, all services operating out of Harristown and Clontarf depots were suspended this morning and thousands of commuters had to make alternative travel arrangements.

It is understood that the company has offered to negotiate with the drivers as soon as they cease their unofficial action and commence working the new rosters - albeit under protest - in accordance with the labour court re commendation.

Meanwhile, a meeting with Dublin Bus management and shop stewards at the Harristown Depot in north Dublin has failed to resolve the unofficial strike.

A full list of affected services is available on DublinBus.ie and AARoadwatch.ie

shltter

SickCert wrote: »

Its not all drivers, i love the job and happily drove my passengers in today.

A very small group under the name of the 'Busworkers action group' OR 'Independant workers union' that throw a few guys on the gate and intimidate the good workers that show up for their duty.
There are reports of more widespread randoms pickets tomorrow of a few guys here and there - BUT official union reps will be also on the scene to make sure they have access to their depots without threats.

Most i spoke to today accept its going to be chaos for 2 weeks while things change, but they have accepted it and they want to work.

No your wrong

There are agreed procedures for changing a bill they were NOT followed on the 128 simple as that.

Just because the BWAG and IWU say it does not make it wrong even a stopped clock is right twice a day.


I did not see anyone being intimidated anyone that wanted to work went to work.

shltter

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Someone very familiar with CIE labour relations proceedures put it to me very simply today.

There is a well established mechanism which has the force of law and tries to get everyone's opinion voiced. Dublin Bus made a mockery of that over the past week.

What the drivers are meant to do is get on to their Union rep. Then they inform head office of what's going on, and then they decide on these matters and meet with management over the issue. If agreement can't be reached,they can put forward a ballot for industrial action.

Instead some wannabie Jim Larkin comes along and makes a "principled stand" to management. By going behind the backs of their own unions, they make a mockery of the unity and principles that Larkin and Connolly stood for. They don't represent the honest working people of this country, the trade union movement or indeed the DB customers. Thousands of people had to fight vested interests, big business and govt to get those employment rights. This kind of acting the ****ox is never what those people set out to achieve.

I do understand that what Dublin Bus management did on Friday/Saturday was wrong, but they would be punished for this through the usual union proceedures, quite possibly through an official strike. Now all that's happened is that both sides can't back down any time soon and a lot of people have a big problem on their hands through no fault of their own.

Shame on both sides.

No your wrong

Introducing a new bill has a set procedure

The company produces a bill this is given to the unions and the people marked in on the route. They discuss it and highlight any problems they see with it. The bill is balloted by those marked in if accepted then it come in if rejected......

The company then looks at the bill and sees if they can accomodate the concerns raised by the drivers and their unions. They produce a second bill and same procedure as before balloted accepted or rejected.

If rejected the company produces a third bill if that is not acceptable then it is passed to an schedules tribunal and they decide they can make changes or accept it in its current form and then that's it.

The bill on the 128 went to the second bill and the company decided to introduce the bill anyway after it was rejected and not submit a third bill or go to the schedules tribunal this despite a written guarantee then they would follow normal procedures for all new bills.


The unions today offered to go back to the original bill for 3 days to allow the full procedures to be finished but the company refused and insisted that the new bill be worked while the procedures are worked through.

It is as simple and as ridiculous as that after all the efforts to avoid disruption to services it comes down to pig headedness and management rowing back on a promise they made for the sake of 3 days then the procedures will be completed as agreed and the bill whatever shape it takes would have some validity

Nostradamus

SickCert wrote: »

Its not all drivers, i love the job and happily drove my passengers in today.

A very small group under the name of the 'Busworkers action group' OR 'Independant workers union' that throw a few guys on the gate and intimidate the good workers that show up for their duty.

Fair play.

Can I ask you something? Would the 'Busworkers action group' be a certain type of staff. As in, be of a certain age group and got their jobs through their dads who were also bus drivers?

andy jackson

have to comment on this thread ,

havnt read in compete detail every single reply , but ..........
someone wrote the new 128 bill ( or route running time) wasnt presented to drivers as per agreement , this is true ,

someone also wrote , (simalar to) its mearly a row between 2 managers in head office and a few drivers in harristown , this is also true ,

dublin bus management are incompident (highly)

harristown management are as follows .
mr d.k (never drove a bus in his life)garge manager
mr r.k (never drove a bus in his life)asst. manager
mr t.k (guess what , he`s never driven a bus in his life)


as a driver in harristown depot , i would ask , even beg , that all the begruggers remember this .........

the person who "invents" all these new bills (or route running time) has never EVER drove a bus in his life ......for instance on my particular route i am given 65 mins to get from hawkins street to dunboyne (at 17.30), and whilst i admit it maybe only 10 or 12 miles (as the crow flies) it is damn impossible to do ,

ryanair coulndt do it in that time ,

so the unofficial action may seem like senceless , but trust me , its for the good of the bus user aswell as the bus driver

rant over:mad:

Little Miss Cutie

for anyone who hasnt seen the dublin bus website, no buses at all from clontarf and harristown today!
Anyone know if bus lanes are open this morning?

Colm R

shltter wrote: »

No your wrong

Introducing a new bill has a set procedure

The company produces a bill this is given to the unions and the people marked in on the route. They discuss it and highlight any problems they see with it. The bill is balloted by those marked in if accepted then it come in if rejected......

The company then looks at the bill and sees if they can accomodate the concerns raised by the drivers and their unions. They produce a second bill and same procedure as before balloted accepted or rejected.

If rejected the company produces a third bill if that is not acceptable then it is passed to an schedules tribunal and they decide they can make changes or accept it in its current form and then that's it.

The bill on the 128 went to the second bill and the company decided to introduce the bill anyway after it was rejected and not submit a third bill or go to the schedules tribunal this despite a written guarantee then they would follow normal procedures for all new bills.


The unions today offered to go back to the original bill for 3 days to allow the full procedures to be finished but the company refused and insisted that the new bill be worked while the procedures are worked through.

It is as simple and as ridiculous as that after all the efforts to avoid disruption to services it comes down to pig headedness and management rowing back on a promise they made for the sake of 3 days then the procedures will be completed as agreed and the bill whatever shape it takes would have some validity

Oh my God!
I cannot believe it works like that. I dont know of any company that would work like that.
Drivers and management get to sympathy from me.

MiniD

This has now spread to Harristown, Clontarf, Summerhill, Phibsobro, Broadstone and Conyngham Road. RTE News are reporting that drivers have smashed windows of buses and intimidated drivers from other garages who are still working.

How anybody can support these drivers is a disgrace.

kida

F*&^ any set procedure, they are paid to drive buses.

Sack anyone who refuses to work or who tries to stop others from working. Plenty of people willing to do the job.

angel01

This seems to be getting worse. I wish both parties could sit down and discuss things

sillymoo

To be honest I dont really know what is going on nor do I care about the in's and out's of this dispute. I am not going to bítch and moan that I cant take a bus today.

But I am going to point out that there are now no buses into Beaumont hospital and the 16/a are now running a limited service. The amount of patients who will not be able to attend clinics or will have to get a taxi huge. This is compounded by the fact that a lot of these patients are elderly. I find this shocking to say the least. You would think being on a waiting list to get an appointment in a clinic would be the hardest part but it now seems getting to the hospital is.

Ronan|Raven

Just heard the same on RTE there, one female driver was intimidated and had to return, windows broken by some other drivers being intimidated. Lovely lads. They should be sacked with immediate effect this cosy arse power of some in Dublin Bus needs to end, it is a **** of a company anyway that couldnt organise a pissup in a brewery.

markpb

DB are refusing to speak to the drivers until they return to work. Right or wrong, it's not a great way to resolve a problem.

Also, taxi drivers are going on strike at 3pm today. I can't imagine there'll be much of a turnout - most of them will be too busy making a fortune on cancelled DB routes to protest.

woodseb

i've been using buses for years and you know what? i've never been consulted on any timetable changes either but then i'm just a customer and should realise that the company is run for and by the drivers

maggy_thatcher

Ronan|Raven wrote: »

Just heard the same on RTE there, one female driver was intimidated and had to return, windows broken by some other drivers being intimidated. Lovely lads. They should be sacked with immediate effect this cosy arse power of some in Dublin Bus needs to end, it is a **** of a company anyway that couldnt organise a pissup in a brewery.

If that is true, then whoever was doing the intimidating and whoever broke the windows should be charged accordingly and locked up. It's gone beyond simply firing their asses now.

Noopti

Was waiting at a bus stop for an hour this morning, so I'm back home waiting it out for a bit before trying again when the rush hour has *hopefully* died down.

The strike was bad enough without these w@nkers going to other garages and intimidating their fellow workers who wanted no part in there action into stopping working. Scum.

SACK THEM, and get people in who will appreciate the work. You can't use a union when it works for you and disregard it when it doesn't. Surely there would be nothing illegal about sacking those responsible??

angel01

Tried to ring Dublin bus to find out information on what "The following routes have a curtailed peak service" means and they forwarded me to the garage and noone is answering there so I am still none the wiser.

Asok

There were an awful lot of people still stood at the stops when I was passing this morning. I pity them for the bollocking they are gonna get when they eventually get into work


tbh

Noopti

Asok wrote: »

There were an awful lot of people still stood at the stops when I was passing this morning. I pity them for the bollocking they are gonna get when they eventually get into work


tbh

If anyone gives their employees a bollocking today for being late then they are idiots.

parsi

thebman wrote: »

No I mean a real system not a make sure the boys are alright system.

Be careful about what you wish for.

Privatisation is far from being a panancea -look at eircom : it's the same old, same old and is sold on to one company after another with sweet all investment.

maggy_thatcher

parsi wrote: »

Be careful about what you wish for.

Privatisation is far from being a panancea -look at eircom : it's the same old, same old and is sold on to one company after another with sweet all investment.

That's why I don't believe it should be privatised - I believe it should be shut-down and replaced. Sometimes it's easier to just rebuild from scratch than try and adapt an existing structure.

markpb

maggy_thatcher wrote: »

That's why I don't believe it should be privatised - I believe it should be shut-down and replaced. Sometimes it's easier to just rebuild from scratch than try and adapt an existing structure.

Like I said before, we have an extremely poor track record at privatising and regulating any industry. Why do you suddenly believe our politicians have the balls to do it properly this time? The risk of getting is wrong is very high - most cities in the UK (except for London) were crying out to get their public bus service back after privatisation. Why is London different - a strong regulator and piles of cash.

That said, I think bus drivers will find it very hard to win any public support on this one. The reason for striking is too technical for most people to care about and something most people in the private sector wouldn't strike over. It won't win the DB unions any favours this time.

hmmm

Workers in a monopoly public service function should not have the right to strike. It is an abuse of their position as far as I'm concerned.

If the government allows competition on Dublin Bus routes they can strike to their heart's content. The last time an Irish politician showed some balls was when the taxi licences were liberalised.