Minister for Transport Shane Ross was confronted by bus drivers at a public engagement he was attending at Athlone in Co Westmeath this afternoon.
Mr Ross was cycling with Independent Alliance TD Kevin 'Boxer' Moran on a greenway into Athlone when he was met by a picket organised by SIPTU and the National Bus and Rail Union.
Several picketers confronted the minister about his absence from the Bus Éireann talks process.
In reply Mr Ross told them the Government was going to do its very best and he hoped there would be a settlement.
Several picketers declined to shake hands with the minister and Mr Moran was severely criticised for not engaging with the bus drivers locally.
Striking workers accused Mr Ross of giving private bus operators "the cream of the crop" in routes and services while he stood by and allowed the company to close down.
Angry bus drivers accuse Minister Shane Ross of ignoring their conditions pic.twitter.com/olTwiWGEow
— Ciaran Mullooly (@ciaranmullooly) April 7, 2017
Earlier, talks aimed at resolving the Bus Éireann dispute at the Workplace Relations Commission adjourned until tomorrow morning, with no sign of a breakthrough.
Unions and management will meet again at 11am.
Participants had negotiated right through the night in an attempt to move forward but sources at the talks said progress was very slow and while some tentative agreement was reached over improved efficiencies at the company, changes to pay structures sought by management remain a major stumbling block.
There was no comment from management representatives as they left the WRC today.
The general secretary of the NBRU also declined to comment but in a tweet he said it was a long 27 hours, and all parties are committed to reaching a solution.
Mr Ross has said he is hopeful a resolution can be found to the dispute in the next few days - despite talks being adjourned without a settlement today.
The strike has caused travel disruption nationwide as no Bus Éireann services, except school routes, have operated since 24 March – and is now in its 15th day.
The company is looking to make significant savings in this area and concessions acceptable to the unions would not come close to achieving the savings which the company is seeking.
