Sir, – Timmy Dooley TD (Home News, August 6th) has called for more intervention from Government to resolve the Dublin Bus strike. I wonder precisely what would Deputy Dooley propose in this vein? I haven’t heard any viable alternative proposal to resolve the dispute emanating from the Opposition parties. A Fianna Fáil attitude from the past would have been to keep throwing more money from the taxpayer until the problem disappeared. That might have been more tolerated by the public during the “A lot done, more to do” years, but it simply won’t do now. – Yours, etc,
JOHN KENNEDY,
Knocknashee,
Goatstown, Dublin 14.
Sir, – In the 1970s a big banner regularly seen on Hill 16 during the All Ireland Championships read: “Barney Rock strikes faster than CIÉ”. Things haven’t changed much with some trade unions! – Yours, etc,
JOHN ROCHE,
Blarney Road,
Clogheen, Cork.
A chara, – I find the tone of some of Leo Varadkar’s comments regarding Dublin Bus to be offensive, quite frankly. It is disgraceful enough that he tries to lay the blame for hypothetical job losses at the feet of Dublin Bus drivers. However, his assertion that the “taxpayer has no more to give Dublin Bus” (Home News, August 6th) is both comical and disturbing.
All the companies in the CIÉ group form part of our public transport network, a network which serves all the people of Ireland, and not just those who live along profitable routes. Yet Mr Varadkar seems determined to cut the public subvention to our public transport providers. Perhaps that is because the Government believes it is more important to use our taxes to pay back those who made bad investments in our banks, or maybe this privatisation by stealth is just part of this Government’s ideology.
Either way, it would take just a fraction of the money our Government has paid out to bondholders to keep our public transport network funded through its current difficulties, yet the Minister for Transport would apparently rather see that burden borne by the workers who have already taken a cut to their take home pay.
On a personal level, I’m a proud to see a group of workers willing to stand up not only for themselves, but also for the families they feed from their wages, and who won’t just quietly roll over while six-figured-salaried executives and ministers tell them they earn too much. – Is mise,
SIMON O’CONNOR,
Lismore Road, Dublin 12.
Sir, – Is the bus strike a fitting commemoration of the 1913 Lockout, both starting in August? If so, who is the modern day James Larkin or William Martin Murphy? – Yours, etc,
ALAN JERROLD,
Gandon Close,
Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6W.
A chara, – Everybody knows this Dublin Bus strike will not go on forever, so why did the relevant stakeholders not end it on Sunday with a mutual agreement? Already this is a vicious circle, because the longer this strike continues the greater the losses, not just financial, for Dublin Bus, and hence the deeper the cuts that will need to be implemented, to the detriment of staff. J Paul Getty’s formula for success comes to mind: “Rise early, work hard, strike oil.” – Is mise,
JASON POWER,
Maxwell Road,
Rathgar, Dublin 6.
A chara, – I’m delighted that Timmy Dooley paid attention in his “Politics 101” class.
The workers at Dublin Bus were barely at the picket line before he appeared in the national media, demanding Leo Varadkar personally resolve the strike. Once involved, any negative developments could then be blamed on the Minister and calls for his resignation could quickly follow.
Of course, were the Minister to announce he was going to intervene, Mr Dooley would appear in the media criticising the Minister for interfering, blaming him for any negative developments and, no doubt, calling for his resignation. New politics indeed. – Is mise,
PHILIP FLYNN,
Richmond Park Road,
Bristol, England.
A chara, – Could the Army stand in while the Dublin Bus dispute is ongoing? – Is mise,
ALEX STAVELEY,
Beverton Walk,Donabate,
Co Dublin.