NBRU 'Determined' To Progress With Pay Claim For CIÉ Workers

The National Bus and Railworkers' Union (NBRU) has said that it is "determined to progress pay claims for transport workers within CIÉ in line with industry norms".

The union's General Secretary Dermot O'Leary said: "We have previously lodged pay claims at both Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus, the latter is before the Labour Court on Wednesday next, our most recent claim for rail workers is one which we consider to be justified on the basis of the changing economy and the resultant increases in revenue and passenger numbers, it should be noted that no railway in the world makes money, if our members in Iarnród Éireann were paid on the basis of profit, than the minimum wage in this country would have to be reset, our rail members, similar to their bus colleagues before them, have endured cuts to pay for over 19 months and are clearly telling us they have had enough.

"Furthermore, it is our contention that there is a direct correlation between the stripping out of vital Government funding from the CIE Group of Companies over the last eight years, pay cuts and the inability to even discuss long overdue pay rewards for bus and rail staff, the reported 8% to 18.7% proposed to settle the tram dispute will inevitably result in setting this as a benchmark for pay in exchequer subsidised public transport."

(MH)