Bus strike hits Clare

Bus Éireann passengers in County Clare have been making alternative travel plans today as an-all out strike is underway. Among those discommoded are people who normally use bus services to get to work and those who travel from rural areas to Ennis for shopping and business.

One regular Bus Éireann passenger from West Clare told The Clare Champion he was unable to make it to work today, which had serious implications for him and his employer.

Bus Éireann services across the country stopped at midnight after drivers refused to work under the threat of pay cuts.

Management at the transport firm are warning they need to plug a multi-million euro hole in their finances, but their claim that there’s ‘no basis’ for talks led to unions escalating their action. Unions representing drivers say members will engage in all-out indefinite strike until their greviences are addressed.

Unions are in dispute with the company over cuts to pay, the casualisation of work and the threat of job losses at the company.

Bus Éireann expressed extreme disappointed that unions have called a strike at the company. A spokeswoman said, “Industrial action will cause major inconvenience to our customers and exacerbate the perilous financial situation at the company.” This morning, in a statement, the company apologies to commuters for the disruptions as a result of union action.

For a while this morning, train services were also affected, as union members at Irish Rail didn’t pass pickets at terminals shared by both modes of transport.