Town bus service back in doubt after court ruling

Bus Éireann's planned removal of the Athlone town bus service is likely to go ahead in the new year after the Labour Court largely backed the company's cost-cutting proposals. The removal of the Athlone service - which links areas such as Monksland, Garrycastle and Willow Park with the town centre - has been listed among a wide range of service cuts the company is set to implement in order to stem current losses estimated at €50,000 per week. In addition to the loss of town bus service, the company is also believed to be planning cutbacks on regional routes linking Athlone with Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Westport, Sligo, Navan and Cavan. Following a hearing last month, the Labour Court recommended some changes to the company's proposed measures, but ultimately backed its plan to cut routes and take 150 vehicles out of service. In all, 99 routes are set to be affected by the cuts which, company spokesperson Andrew McLindon said, will be introduced "on a phased basis." At the Labour Court hearing on November 13 last, SIPTU and the NBRU, the unions representing Bus Éireann staff, argued that the employees were paying a disproportionate cost for the company's current troubles. They stated that workers had already made some significant concessions and that withdrawing services and cutting drivers' terms and conditions of employment shouldn't be the company's focus at this time. However the Labour Court said it was clear that the company was in a "perilous" position financially. "It is equally clear that radical cost saving measures are necessary to restore the viability of the business and maintain the employment which it supports," added the court in its recommendation. It is reported that Bus Éireann is planning to cut the jobs of 222 drivers, and the court recommended that these cuts be implemented on a voluntary rather than a compulsory basis. In total, the company is seeking to remove 320 jobs. A pay freeze until the end of 2010 was backed by the Labour Court, which also recommended that the company drop proposed cuts in workers' shift and rota rates. Noting the company's current position, the court urged those involved "to make an early decision" on its recommendations and to implement the terms recommended without delay. Bus Eireann has said it will implement the court's recommendations, while SIPTU and the NBRU are expected to ballot their members on the recommendations in the coming days. On Monday, Mr McLindon, spokesperson for the bus company, said: "Since earlier this year, we have had detailed discussions with the trade unions internally and through the Labour Relations Commission and the Labour Court on our cost recovery plan and we trust that the unions will now respond positively to the Labour Court recommendation on this plan in order to protect as many services and jobs as possible given the company's difficult financial position."