Unite backs Belfast City Centre Anti-Austerity demonstration

Posted on September 27, 2016 by

012Protest coincides with People’s Assembly protest against Conservative Party conference in Birmingham

Austerity part of an agenda seeking to transfer wealth from working-class to the wealthy

September 27th: Jackie Pollock, deputy Irish Regional Secretary for Unite offered his union’s backing for the ‘Tories Out – Austerity Has Failed’ protest set for Belfast City Centre at 1pm on Sunday 2nd October:

“On behalf of Unite the union, I urge trade unionists and the wider community to come out to show their opposition to Austerity at Sunday’s demonstration at Belfast City Hall [October 2nd]. We must continue to show our determined opposition to austerity policies coming from whatever source. Continue reading →

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Dublin Bus: Unite looks forward to engaging at WRC without preconditions

Posted on September 25, 2016 by

unite-white-out-of-redSeptember 25th Unite, which represents craft worker in Dublin Bus, has welcomed the intervention of the Workplace Relations Commission in the ongoing dispute.  Speaking in advance of talks scheduled to take place tomorrow (Monday), Unite Regional Officer Willie Quigley noted that unions have consistently stated their willingness to engage without preconditions.

“Dublin Bus workers, along with the travelling public, have been frustrated by the failure of both Dublin Bus and their shareholder, the Government, to engage meaningfully to resolve this dispute.

“Not only have our members received no wage increase since 2008, and been denied an agreed wage increase – they have also suffered a deterioration in their working conditions.

“Against that background, our members are determined to pursue their legitimate claims.

“We welcome the WRC’s intervention, and look forward to engaging tomorrow without preconditions”, Mr Quigley concluded.

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Dublin Bus: Shrinking subvention at root of problems

Posted on September 19, 2016 by

white-out-of-red-fullAs dispute escalates, Unite says workers and public paying price for “persistent Government disengagement”

September 19th: Following last week’s announcement of an escalation in the ongoing industrial action at Dublin Bus, trade union Unite – which represents craft workers in the company – said that workers and the public are paying the price for what it termed “persistent Government disengagement”.  Unite today published figures showing that the Government subvention to Dublin Bus fell by 32.6 per cent since 2008, and is well below the level of other major European cities as a percentage of total revenue.

Commenting, Unite Regional Officer Willie Quigley said:

Continue reading →

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No justification for Translink management to consider another Fare Hike

Posted on September 16, 2016 by
DMM1

Davy McMurray

Interview remarks indicating Chief Executive’s equivocal attitude to privatisation deeply concerning

Translink management stall on delivery of Unite’s ‘cost-saving’ proposals, refuse to disclose findings of studies on NITHCo’s extensive property portfolio

September 16th: Unite officer for Translink Davy McMurray, whose union represents the majority of the workforce in Northern Ireland’s public transport provider, has blasted comments made by the company’s Chief Executive, Chris Conway, in an interview with the Belfast Telegraph earlier in the week [Tuesday, September 13th]:

“Chris Conway’s ‘soft-focus’ interview in Tuesday’s Belfast Telegraph provided him a platform to test the water on another fare hike and to leave open the possibility of privatisation. Continue reading →

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Dublin Bus: Unite blames Government disengagement for dispute escalation

Posted on September 15, 2016 by

unite-white-out-of-redSeptember 15th: Unite Regional Officer Willie Quigley, who today chaired a meeting of all the unions involved in the ongoing Dublin Bus dispute, has said that the Government bears full responsibility for the dispute’s escalation.  Unions today served notice on Dublin Bus that additional stoppages will be held on September 27th and 28th, and October 1st, 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 18th, 19th, 24th, 26th and 29th.

Unions will meet in the Unite offices on Friday October 14th to review the situation at that point, and possible further escalation.

“Today’s meeting included unions representing all grades in Dublin Bus, from fitters to drivers and coachbuilders to clerical workers, and the message was unanimous:  our members have been left at the end of the queue for too long, and are determined to continue their struggle for decent wages which reflect their contribution to the life of this city”, Mr Quigley said.

“The Government’s continued disengagement from this dispute is particularly ironic given the current problems are largely due to the continued shrinkage of the subvention to Dublin Bus.

“On September 27th, Dublin Bus workers will be joined by members of the trade union movement as a whole and the general public in bringing our message to the gates of Dail Eireann:  public transport is a public good, and must be funded accordingly”, Willie Quigley concluded.

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