Bus Éireann has said that job losses and cuts to core pay for staff will have to be on the table if it does not secure savings it is seeking as part of a recovery plan.
Members of Siptu at the State-owned transport company today voted overwhelmingly to reject Labour Court proposals aimed at dealing with a serious financial situation at Bus Éireann. The white-collar TSSA union, which represents clerical and administrative personnel at the company, has already voted by a margin of three to one to reject the proposals.
A spokesman for the company said it had made clear last June that it needed to generate savings of around €8 million in staff terms and conditions as part of recovery plan.
He said that nine months later none of these proposed savings had been made.
The spokesman said the viability of the company was under threat and if the proposed savings were not realised job losses and cuts to core pay would have to be examined.
Bus Éireann management warned staff in a letter last month that if they engaged in industrial action they may not have jobs to return to when it was over.
The Labour Court proposals involved significant reductions in overtime, shift payments and sick leave arrangements for staff at Bus Éireann.
The court also recommended the working week for clerical staff be increased from 36 to 39 hours.
After voting by a margin of almost nine-to-one to reject the proposals Siptu organiser, Willie Noone, said his union's members: "have decided to overwhelmingly reject these proposals, with 89 per cent of those balloted voting against their acceptance."
The ballot result was announced this morning following a count in Liberty Hall, Dublin.
"Union representatives are available to recommence talks with management with the aim of preparing a new set of proposals which will be more acceptable to workers," Mr Noone added. "These talks would include reference to the new propositions for change throughout the public service which are contained in the recently published LRC proposals for a public service agreement."
The result comes just days after clerical and managerial staff rejected Labour Court recommendations to deal with the deteriorating financial situation at the company.
The Labour Court proposals involved increased hours for staff as well as cuts to allowances and overtime and reductions in annual leave.