NTA proposes retention of terms for bus staff moving firms

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has proposed that the existing terms and conditions could be retained by any Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann staff who have to transfer to private operators under proposed reforms.

It also said that due to predicted growth in the bus market served by Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann, it believed that few, if any , staff would have to move to private operators even if the State companies lost out in tenders for some of their existing routes.

However it confirmed that if private operators won tenders for routes currently operated by Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann they would receive buses which are currently in the possession of the State transport companies.

It also said that labour costs would have to be included in the tender process for bus routes.

The National Transport Authority also indicated that any savings generated as a result of its proposed reforms to the bus market, could be used to lower fares for passengers.

The National Transport Authority denied that it was privatising bus routes currently operated by State companies under controversial reform plans.

The authority's chief executive Anne Graham urged unions at Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann to call off their 7 days of strike action scheduled for next month and to re-engage in a process at the Labour Relations Commission.

The trade unions Siptu and the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) are to stage work stoppages on Friday May 1st; Saturday May 2nd; Friday May 15th; and Saturday May 16th as well as on Friday, Saturday and Sunday May 29th, 30th and 31st.

The authority said Dublin Bus would face fines of €150,000 and Bus Éireann €80,000 for each day of strike action in the company.

The unions believe that plans by the authority to put out to tender 10 per cent of routes currently operated by Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann could result in the privatisation of existing services. They fear that members could experience a reduction in their terms and conditions if they were forced to move to private operators that won contracts.

However Ms Graham said the routes going out to tender were not being privatised.

“What we are doing is specifying details of a bus service we want delivered -- we set the fares, routes, frequencies, vehicles, environmental standards ,customer service standards - and we will seek submissions from the market on that basis, from any operator including the current operators Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann.”

“The successful tenderer will operate the specified services in return for an agreed fee and will remit the collected fare revenue to the National Transport Authority.The National Transport Authority will maintain full control over service delivery and standards across all routes in exactly the same way as we now do for Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann. “

Ms Graham said in the event of Dublin Bus or Bus Éireann not being successful in the competitive tender, affected staff could automatically transfer to the winning contractor with the same rights and obligations they had enjoyed with their previous employer under transfer of undertakings provisions.

She said this would apply for the duration of the contract for which the private operator was providing the service.

She said "in addition to this existing legislative protection, Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe has stated that he is willing to address any outstanding concerns over pensions, which are outside of the normal transfer of undertakings provisions.

However the authority indicated that such protections would not apply to other staff in private operators that won tenders.

“The authority is confident that, with the economy now growing and public transport use increasing, the expansion of bus services requiring additional bus drivers will mean that the numbers of staff transferring can be kept to a minimum and this was also confirmed at the Labour Relations Commission talks.”