Dublin Bus drivers are to circulate leaflets to passengers this morning explaining their justification for expected industrial action next month.
Copies of the leaflets are to be left on passenger seats and handed out by members of the National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU), as part of the ground work in a propaganda war set to erupt after a ballot on industrial action on Wednesday.
The NBRU general secretary, Mr Liam Tobin, said yesterday there was "little doubt" members would vote overwhelmingly in favour of action because of plans by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, to privatise certain bus routes in Dublin.
Mr Tobin said he understood the Minister would unveil such plans before Cabinet tomorrow and that this would breach an agreement reached between the unions and Dublin Bus in June 2000. Downplaying rumours of an imminent Cabinet decision, however, a spokesman for the Minister said proposals were not due to be finalised for another three to four weeks.
Such proposals are due to give effect to the Minister's decision to break up CIÉ, thereby establishing Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann and Dublin Bus as three independent companies. Mr Brennan has also signalled his intention to open up 25 per cent of the capital's bus market to competition by next January.
The NBRU said votes in the ballot would be counted next Thursday and industrial action was expected within 10 days. It said action could extend to other CIÉ companies if the Minister did not back down on his privatisation plans.
Mr Tobin said the June 2000 agreement, which was subsequently endorsed by the Public Transport Forum set up under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, "provides the best way forward for the company, the unions and the travelling public".
Under the deal, it was agreed that Dublin Bus would maintain its core services and only 20-25 per cent of new services could be contracted out to private companies by Dublin Bus.
Commenting on plans announced late last week by the Asian-owned DelGro Corporation to target the Irish city and inter-city bus markets, Mr Tobin remarked: "Now we are having faceless millionaires from Singapore taking over our core services. We are not going to have it."
He said it was "ludicrous" that Dublin Bus was being prohibited from establishing new routes because a private operator could be interested. "The Minister seems determined to ignore existing agreements and press ahead with his own privatisation agenda."
