News

SIPTU calls off bus and rail stoppage

Wednesday, 17 March 2004 21:35

SIPTU general officers have directed that tomorrow's planned one-day stoppage to bus and rail services be called off, after lengthy debate at a meeting of the union's strike committee at Liberty Hall.

The committee's view was that the letter from the Taoiseach that the union received on Monday night was not a meaningful intervention.

The general officers took a different view and directed that the actions be called off under the union's rule 169. SIPTU President Jack O'Connor said however, that CIÉ workers remained deeply frustrated at the pace of the talks.

The planned stoppage at Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus and Iarnród Éireann was due to begin at midnight.

The Minister for Transport, Séamus Brennan, had earlier called for a quick decision by SIPTU on the stoppage.

Speaking earlier today on RTÉ Radio, Mr Brennan said if the union decided to proceed with the action, the public needed to know as soon as possible in order to make alternative transport arrangements.

Mr Brennan said progress was being made in talks between the Government and unions and that there was no justification for a bus and rail strike.

Mr Brennan welcomed SIPTU's decision yesterday not to proceed with a planned six-hour stoppage tomorrow at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.

The minister also said most of the financial information being sought by the unions would probably be made available in the next fortnight.