What is the strike about? Dublin Bus drivers want pay increases of 15 per cent over three years, having rejected a Labour Court recommendation of 8.25 per cent for 3,364 employees over three years without productivity increases.
Unions are also looking for payment of a 6 per cent rise due originally under a national wage deal in 2008. The NBRU is also seeking pay parity for Dublin Bus drivers with drivers on the Luas light rail system.
And the strike dates are? Staff at Dublin Bus have staged six days of strikes so far this month as part of a campaign for higher pay. A two-day strike planned for Tuesday and Wednesday (September 27th/28th) has been called off to facilitate talks between unions and management. However, there are 11 days of planned strikes in October that. as yet, remain in place.
The stoppages scheduled for October are on . . .
Saturday 1st (the date of the Dublin v Mayo All-Ireland senior football final replay),
Wednesday 5th,
Friday 7th,
Monday 10th,
Wednesday 12th,
Friday 14th,
Tuesday 18th,
Wednesday 19th,
Monday 24th,
Wednesday 26th
and
Saturday 29th.
The strike lasts all day each time? In fact, they are longer. Services on all Dublin Bus routes stop at 9pm on the night before the day of strike action.
Why? The 9pm timing is a management initiative to ensure all buses get back to base safely before the strike starts at a minute past midnight.
Are we talking all buses? The strike includes Airlink services, the Ghostbus Tour and Nitelink services – effectively anything with a Dublin Bus logo on it. The few private bus operators in the city and Bus Éireann routes into Dublin continue to operate, as do Luas and Dart services.
Can I drive in the bus lanes? Apparently not. Bus lanes will be in operation for Bus Éireann, Aircoach, private operators, and taxis.
So this is really impacting on commuters? Around 400,000 people use Dublin Bus each day. And Dublin retailers claim sales have plummeted by as much as 60 per cent due to the strike action.
Can I get a refund for not being able to use my bus ticket? Good news and bad news. Conor Pope reports that, if all 15 days of strike action go ahead by the end of October, holders of monthly and annual travel passes will be in line for refunds of more €104 each. However, no one will be permitted to claim any refunds until the dispute is resolved.
