Drivers working for Aircoach will meet on Tuesday to vote on proposals on rostering and pay after talks between the company and Siptu on Monday. The union is to recommend a pay offer worth 4.8 per cent over nine months and new rostering and rotation arrangements to replace those introduced at the start of July, which have prompted drivers to work “under protest” in recent weeks.
The company, which is owned by UK operator Firstbus, is understood to have made changes to legacy rostering arrangements but these proved unpopular among many of its 150 drivers. Like many other companies in the sector Aircoach has faced challenges on the recruitment side, and it is hoped the new rostering arrangements combined with the proposed pay increase will help with staffing.
Aircoach operates a number of routes between Dublin Airport and destinations on the south of Dublin and Greystones, Co Wicklow, as well as longer distance routes to Derry, via Belfast, and Cork. It has had some issues with services in recent weeks, and while the majority operated normally on Monday its website listed 29 cancellations to its Dublin and Wicklow services for Tuesday, a further 28 on Wednesday and 12 on Thursday. Details of affected services can be found here.
The company described the issues as “temporary”.
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Siptu transport sector organiser Andrew Quigley said he felt both the meeting with the company on Monday and the resulting proposals had been positive “but the members will have their say”.
The company also operates the buses between the Dublin Airport’s terminals and car parks under a contract with the DAA. About two-thirds of the drivers work on the well-known blue buses.
In mid-June Aircoach announced a significant increase in frequency on its Dublin and Wicklow routes with 65 additional services daily. The changes are understood to have been linked to the new rosters, and there have been reports of issues with cancellations since then.
The union says staff worked the shifts they were allocated while talks about the arrangements continued. “The drivers did whatever they were told to but there is a shortage of drivers generally and hopefully this deal, if approved, will put the company in a better position to recruit over the coming months.”
The company’s Irish operation reported a profit of €1.6 million for the year to March 2023, having sustained a loss of more than €1 million for the previous 12 months. It was badly hit by the impact of the pandemic on air travel but has recovered well.
The nine-month pay offer, which would conclude at the start of April 2025, is intended to bring the company’s Irish operation into line with the timing of pay arrangements in the UK.
The company was approached for comment.
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