Thousands of bus passengers face massive transport disruption in the coming weeks, with drivers at Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann planning to strike over both the May and June bank holiday weekends.

Drivers who are members of Siptu are to hold stoppages on four days in May as part of their campaign of opposition to the potential privatisation of routes currently operated by the State-owned company.

The Siptu strikes are scheduled to go ahead on Friday, May 1st, Saturday, May 2nd, Friday, May 15th and Saturday, May 16th.

Another union representing staff at Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann, the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) is planning a three-day stoppage on Friday, May 29th, Saturday, May 30th and Sunday, May 31st for the June bank holiday weekend.

The NBRU will also support the stoppages being held by Siptu drivers in both companies.

Siptu’s utilities and construction division organiser, Owen Reidy, said: “As a result of talks at the Labour Relations Commission collapsing, the Siptu Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann joint sub-committee met on April 13th. At this meeting, it was decided to postpone any decision on industrial action for 10 days to facilitate meetings with both bus companies and the Department of Transport.

“In correspondence received from Bus Éireann on 16th April and from Dublin Bus on the 17th April, the companies refused to agree to a meeting and merely recommended that the LRC process should be reconstituted.

“It is outrageous that having taken a moderate approach to prevent industrial action by seeking direct talks with both bus companies, Siptu has been met with such intransigence.

“We have had a meeting with the Department of Transport, which was useful and workmanlike, but until we meet with both bus companies it is impossible to make an assessment on the prospects of making progress in allying our members’ concerns.

“The Minister for Transport, Paschal Donohoe, needs to get his house in order and resolve what is a dysfunctional position taken by these companies.”

Transport authority plans

Mr Reidy said the drivers represented by Siptu were against plans by the National Transport Authority that could result in 10 per cent of routes currently operated by Dublin Bus being taken over by private companies.

Mr Reidy said Siptu believed that this move would damage public transport and was unnecessary.

“For more than nine months, Siptu has been seeking to have six key points, with serious consequences resulting from this proposed privatisation, addressed.

“There has been little progress in having these legitimate concerns tackled. We regret that management has chosen not to seize the opportunity provided by Siptu to address these issues and left our members with no option but to embark on a campaign of industrial action.”

Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe said the strikes would cause stress for the public transport users.

He said they would cause an unacceptable amount of disruption and should not go ahead.