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Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie
Talks had been ongoing since last week.
grounded
All-out strike at Bus Éireann back on the cards as talks collapse
The talks had been going for seven days.
THE TALKS BETWEEN Bus Éireann management and unions that had prevented a planned strike have now broken down.
The talks had been taking place at the Workplace Relations Commission for the past seven days.
In a statement tonight, a spokesperson for Bus Éireann management claimed that unions were unwilling to accept “any reduction of earnings, including unnecessary overtime earnings”.
“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 statement read.
The National Bus and Rail Union’s general secretary said this morning that the union were actively engaging with management with a view to finding efficiencies.
The dispute centres on the cost cutting measures planned by the national bus operator, which says that it go insolvent by the middle of this year if it doesn’t reduce its spending.
The previous strike had been due to begin on 6 March but was put on hold to facilitate talks at the WRC.
The National Bus and Rail Union had said that its members were “prepared to engage in an immediate all-out strike” if talks failed.
Read: The Bus Éireann strike planned for Monday has been called off >
Opinion: ‘Taxpayers who earn significantly less than Bus Éireann drivers are being asked to foot the bill’ >
