An all-out Bus Eireann strike looks likely after talks collapse

Talks broke down last night...

An all-out strike for Bus Eireann staff is looking likely after talks aimed at sorting the crisis at the bus company collapsed last night. Talks had been taking place between management and unions at the Workplace Relations Committee over the past week in a bid to avoid industrial action from workers. In a statement, Bus Eireann said that staff were unwilling to accept any "reduction in earnings, including unnecessary overtime earnings". "Bus Eireann are extremely disappointed that talks with unions have broken down at the WRC today, following seven days of engagement," the statement read. “Given the seriousness of our financial position, we always had a very tight timeframe to implement actions but we nevertheless engaged in good faith to facilitate intensive discussion, with the aim of reaching a negotiated settlement with trade unions. “Despite their public pronouncements about engaging on addressing the high level of inefficiencies, there has been no flexibility shown during our engagement on efficiency measures,” the company said. General Secretary of the National Bus & Railway Union Dermot O'Leary said in a statement that the Trade Unions were fully committed to engaging in an "efficiency based agenda". "The Trade Unions entered the WRC process fully committed to engage on an efficiency based agenda, which would potentially generate significant savings towards addressing the Expressway crisis, the notion that an immediate cut to some overtime earnings would suddenly address the Government Policy induced crisis, is frankly incredulous, and Bus Éireann stand indicted of displaying a cavalier attitude towards its responsibilities to those that rely on its services and its own staff.”