THE GENERAL SECRETARY of the National Bus and Rail Union, Dermot O’Leary, has said that the union did not orchestrate the pickets that are causing massive disruption to Irish Rail and Dublin Bus services this morning.

In a statement, Minister for Transport Shane Ross said he was “actively monitoring” the transport chaos. He called the new situation for commuters this morning “unofficial and unjustified”.

O’Leary said that he knew nothing about the picketing before it happened, and urged Bus Éireann workers at depots to stop and for rail and Dublin Bus workers to return to work.

Source: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

He told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that he was “categorically stating [he] knew nothing about this action until this morning”.

“I assure you, there was no union involvement in this,” he said.

I’m urging those who are picketing to stop, and people [at Irish Rail and Dublin Bus] should go to work immediately.

O’Leary did say, however, that he had flagged the potential for this dispute to spread for several weeks.

He had contacted colleagues across different areas of the country in the last few hours to try get them to encourage some workers to cease their picketing.

“I don’t condone this,” he added before suggesting that he hoped the picketers and the rail and Dublin bus workers see some “sense” in the next few hours.

“I can tell you categorically the only dispute I have is the official dispute with Bus Éireann,” O’Leary said.

Other parties needed to come together to resolve this dispute quickly, including the government and Bus Éireann, he added.

TheJournal.ie was unable to reach a spokesperson from Siptu for comment.