SIPTU members in two employment grades in Dublin Bus have overwhelmingly rejected a Labour Court recommendation concerning pay and conditions at the public transport company in a ballot counted this afternoon (Friday, 29th July) in Liberty Hall, Dublin. Members in the Traffic Grade, which includes bus drivers, voted by 96% to 4% to reject the recommendation, while their colleagues in the Clerical Grade voted voted to reject it by 95% to 5%. SIPTU members in the remaining grades in the company are currently being balloted on the recommendation, with the result of these votes to be announced next week. SIPTU Organiser, John Murphy, said: “Worker representatives in the Clerical and Traffic Grades have reported that their members expressed anger at the proposals presented by the Labour Court. These workers have not had a pay increase since 2008. They deferred a pay increase of 6% due in 2009 and since then have also implemented several measures that have increased productivity and reduced costs for the company. “The agreement of the workers to introduce such cost reduction and productivity measures was crucial to the stabilisation Dublin Bus’s financial situation and the company’s return to profitability in 2014. Our members believe that the Labour Court recommendation does not take into account the sacrifices made by them during this period. They also expressed concerns over other aspects of the recommendation relating to pensions and future productivity.” He added: “SIPTU Organisers will meet with the Section Committees of both grades early next week to review the ballot result and decide our next steps. Our members are willing to conduct a campaign of industrial action in order to force a just resolution to this dispute. We will also engage with other trade unions at the company on the campaign. However, industrial action can be avoided if management enters into negotiations aimed at achieving an acceptable resolution.”
SIPTU Dublin Bus members reject Labour Court recommendation
