Fourth day of bus strike looms

Tens of thousands of Dublin Bus passengers face a fourth day without services as the strike by drivers at the Harristown garage continues.

The chairman of the Labour Court, Kevin Duffy, is expected to decide today or tomorrow whether a basis exists for inviting unions and management back for a further hearing on the row over rosters for drivers assigned to two new routes which the company is seeking to introduce.

Mr Duffy yesterday held several hours of exploratory talks with Dublin Bus management and officials of Siptu and the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU), which represent the drivers at Harristown.

It is understood that Mr Duffy warned the unions strongly that any escalation of the dispute to involve other Dublin Bus garages would make an intervention by the Labour Court more difficult.

Although it is expected that both the new cross-city services would begin and the pickets placed by Siptu and the NBRU would be lifted to facilitate any future Labour Court engagement, in the meantime the strike at the Harristown depot continues.

Up to 60,000 passengers, mainly in north and west Dublin, have been without bus services since last Monday as a result of the dispute.

The row centres around the rosters for the drivers who will operate the two new routes.

The company wants some of the drivers to start and finish their shifts and take their breaks in the city centre rather than at the Harristown garage near Dublin airport.

About 300 drivers from Harristown and other depots marched through Dublin city centre yesterday lunchtime and held a protest outside the headquarters of Dublin Bus on O'Connell Street.Some drivers also protested outside the offices of the NBRU on Parnell Square.

However, Dublin Bus said that there was no disruption to services other than those affected by the Harristown dispute.

One of the organisers of the march, driver Owen McCormack, said that great support had been given to the Harristown staff by colleagues in other depots. "We are not going to be split and not going to be isolated," he said.

NBRU general secretary Michael Faherty said that it was waiting for Mr Duffy to come back to the parties following yesterday's exploratory talks.

Siptu branch organiser Willie Noone said he was hopeful that progress could be made. Dublin Bus described the talks at the Labour Court as "frank and open".

"We have said to the court that we are prepared to explore with them any areas of concern in order to find a satisfactory solution to this issue in order to restore services for our customers.

"However, we emphasised that there must be a commitment from the trade unions that they are prepared to accept the outcome of any Labour Court discussions," the company said.