LABOUR CENTRAL COUNCIL EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR BUS EIREANN WORKERS
The Central Council of the Labour Party has today unanimously passed a motion in support of Bus Éireann workers.
The motion reads:
The Labour Party stands in solidarity with Bus Éireann workers, and calls for the Government to immediately take four actions to resolve the dispute that is currently underway.
Firstly, a Sectoral Employment Order must be put in place to protect a basic set of terms and conditions for all transport workers, to prevent private operators from competing with Bus Éireann on the basis of worse terms and conditions for workers. Labour has already published a Bill that would achieve this.
Secondly, as was provided for in Labour’s alternative Budget, the Government should commit to increasing our levels of subvention for public transport to European norms.
Thirdly, the Department of Social Protection should adequately fund the free travel scheme. Numbers availing of the free travel scheme have increased, but funding has reduced. Minister Varadkar appears to have agreed that this should change, but he must move from talk to action on this.
Finally, we have called on Minister Shane Ross to establish a stakeholder forum to deal with the key issues that are continuing to lead to industrial unrest in the transport section. He has stayed out of this issue for too long, and must now get involved in finding solutions to these problems.