Unions representing Bus Eireann staff have announced an indefinite all-out strike which will take place from midnight tonight.
It's the latest development in the row over proposed cost-cutting measures at the company.
Bus Eireann management say it's at risk of going out of business, and have engaged with unions at both the Labour Court and the Workplace Relations Commission.
In a statement, General Secretary of the NBRU Dermot O'Leary said:
"The letter issued on the 22nd March by Bus Éireann Management is clearly the straw that has broken the back in terms of spelling out exactly what the real agenda is here, the new management structure at Bus Éireann have clearly signalled that they are intent on pursuing a race to the bottom in relation to workers jobs, terms and conditions and to reposition Bus Éireann as a low cost transport provider, mimicking some of the rogue operators that populate the so-called interurban market.
"The representatives from all Five Trade Unions met today to consider this most recent letter from Bus Éireann, those representatives reflected the extreme and at this stage, uncontainable anger among Grades"
The Group went on to say:
"it is a source of considerable regret that the travelling public are going to be discommoded as a result of the decision that the Trade Unions have been forced to take in response to the unilateral implementation of un-agreed cuts to workers pay and conditions, the immediate dismantling of longstanding Collective Agreements, the vast majority of which are supported by the industrial relations institutions of the State and the determination by Bus Éireann to set a course towards creating a yellow pack public transport company.
"The NBRU will now engage in an all-out indefinite strike from Midnight tonight in response to Bus Éireann’s appalling declaration of war on its own workforce.
"The NBRU remains available at any stage to reengage on an efficiency based agenda in order to resolve the Expressway crisis"
