Dublin Bus strike to hamper All-Ireland final replay

GAA fans planning to attend the All-Ireland senior football final replay on Saturday week are set to face significant travel disruption as Dublin Bus staff are scheduled to be on strike on that day.

The date of the replay, October 1st, was one of 13 additional strike days announced by unions representing Dublin Bus staff last week as part of an escalation of their campaign of industrial action.

As things stand at present, no Dublin Bus services are likely to operate on the day Dublin and Mayo meet.

It is likely that the Workplace Relations Commission will assess the current industrial action in the days ahead to determine whether a basis exists for it to intervene in the dispute.

Already the travel plans of about 400,000 people who use Dublin Bus services daily have been affected by four days of strikes over the last couple of weeks.

A further 48-hour stoppage is planned by staff at Dublin Bus on Friday and Saturday of this week as part of the ongoing industrial action over pay.

Finian McGrath backing

Independent Alliance Minister of State Finian McGrath has backed the striking Dublin Bus workers.

The Dublin Bay North TD said Dublin Bus workers had a “genuine case” in their claims for a pay rise and urged all parties to engage in talks aimed a finding a resolution.

He told RTÉ's Claire Byrne show that the strikes, which halted bus services in the capital twice last week and twice the previous week, were a "very serious issue, first of all for the bus workers who I believe personally have a genuine case, and also the 400,000 commuters".

‘Genuine case’

When asked if he supported the workers’ 15 per cent pay claim, Mr McGrath replied: “I think they have a genuine case and I’ve talked to them over the last 48 hours myself as some of them live in my constituency, some of them are supporters of mine, and I think they have a case.”

He said the only way to resolve the dispute was through the Workplace Relations Commission.

“The way to resolve it is to get in there to the WRC, sit down and hammer this with no preconditions at all. That is the way to resolve this issue and that is Shane Ross’s position as well.”

Minister for Transport Shane Ross, Mr McGrath's Independent Alliance colleague, on Friday reiterated his position that the Government would not be opening its chequebook to resolve the industrial dispute at Dublin Bus.

Mr Ross said it would be “wrong and counter-productive” to make a “high-profile intervention”. He urged unions and management to get together as quickly as possible for talks.