Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to return to the urgent issue of Bus Éireann. Across Ireland this morning, buses delivered people to their schools, places of work, shops, homes and offices. Outside of Dublin, many, if not most, of those buses were operated for or on behalf of Bus Éireann, our national bus company. Over recent months, we have heard a lot of noise but have received little clarity about the future of this vital national company. There are conflicting reports on the status of Expressway and numerous scenarios as to what is actually happening within the company. What has become clear is that the crisis is being used to slash the terms and conditions of front-line staff working in Bus Éireann. This will further add to the race to the bottom in workers' terms and conditions across the bus industry. I understand proposals have been put forward that would cut earnings by 30%. They are also using a pay offer - a rise of 2% per year is supposed to address that incredible deficit. There is a registered employment agreement in place covering bus workers that has been ignored by bus management in Bus Éireann. I believe they are trying to bypass the industrial relations machinery of the State. The cack-handed attempt by the company management to bring this crisis to the Labour Court yesterday was refused by the court. This was after management had failed to participate in a Labour Court pay claim from staff just before Christmas. No doubt, reforms and changes may need to be made to work practices. No sector can avoid the need for ongoing modernisation but these changes have to be negotiated. Instead, management has been engaged in a public relations doomsday exercise to set an agenda for confrontation with the trade union movement. The reality is the National Transport Authority, NTA, licences are awarded to private operators in which there are no employment conditions attaching, in effect allowing a race to the bottom on terms and conditions for bus drivers. This crisis goes to the heart of what is driving economic inequality. Instead of lifting up all bus drivers to an even playing field, we have a bonfire of rights and conditions and a race to the bottom. I have no doubt the clerical and driver staff members of Bus Éireann would be willing to discuss proposals to ensure the company remains viable but they cannot do that with a gun to their head. They cannot do that if the entire pitch is tilted against them.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport has removed himself from all of this. He is now a spectator and I am interested to know where he is now - most of the Cabinet is here - when two important Leaders' Questions are put on this issue to the Taoiseach. I want to ask the Taoiseach two brief questions. Does he support the current approach of management in Bus Éireann, a company that is owned entirely by the State? Would he support a sectoral employment order to cover the bus industry to ensure the terms and conditions of workers are protected and that there is an even playing field for all?

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