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No more retreats - Step up the fight to
 Save public transport
By Stephen Boyd

"We need union leaders that are not in the pockets of management and the Government."

The decision by the leadership of SIPTU to call off the 18 March public transport strikes has enraged workers in Aer Rianta and CIE. The 18 March was a lost opportunity to stop the Government in its tracks and setback their privatisation agenda.

The strikes were called off not because the workers weren't willing to fight. They were called off at the eleventh hour because the union leaders as usual did everything in their power to save the Government's neck and social partnership. The debacle of the 18 March shows that we need union leaders that are not in the pockets of management and the Government.

The Government are committed to privatising Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann, Aer Rianta and Aer Lingus. In the case of Aer Lingus they intend to sell off a large chunk of the company in the next three months. In Aer Rianta the break up of that company has only been stalled until after Easter.

In Dublin Bus Brennan has re-iterated that he won't deviate from his plans to bring in private bus operators on to the streets of Dublin as soon as feasible.

The Government and management are planning to strip the workforces in these companies of their working conditions - to bring in a younger generation on "yellow pack" working conditions in an attempt to duplicate the conditions that Michael O'Leary has imposed on Ryanair workers. And why? Because it will mean bigger profits for the new shareholders who buy up our public services.

We urgently need a real campaign to save our public transport system before it's handed over to the profiteers such as anti-union Ryanair and the billionaires who have robbed Eircom from the Irish public. There is massive anger against this Government, if we had union leaders who were prepared to stand up to the Government they would receive massive support from the working class.

Not only would it be possible to stop the sell off of our public transport system but workers could also be mobilised to fight the "savage 16 social welfare cuts", the bin tax would have already been beaten, and the creeping stealth taxes and plans for water charges would not go unchallenged.

The Socialist Party are campaigning to transform our unions. Workers deserve better than the pro-business union leaders who rule ICTU. The Socialist Party is calling for a one day public transport strike. Union activists in CIE, Aer Rianta and Aer Lingus should unite and organise together to force their unions to name the date for this strike. A one day public transport strike would be a huge step forward in the battle to stop privatisation and would receive support from the working class.

The Socialist Party is campaigning to establish rank and file trade union organisations to challenge and remove the pro-business union bureaucrats who "lead" our unions. Join us in the struggle to stop privatisation and to build fighting democratic unions.
Bus workers must take control of the dispute!
By Stephen Boyd

On 17 March the SIPTU leadership did the dirty work of Seamus Brennan and the Government by forcing the workers in CIE and Aer Rianta, against their wishes, to call off the 18 March public transport strikes on the basis of meaningless "reassurances" from Bertie Ahern.

NBRU and SIPTU leaders are now arguing for the Government's deal that includes the break up of CIE and franchising for private operators, on the basis that the Government's assurances on jobs will protect the current CIE workforce.

The Government is committed to the full privatisation of Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann. The private companies, to which Brennan intends to hand 25% of bus routes, will pay their workforce less wages and enforce worse working conditions. This will impact on all other bus workers.That is the effect that the anti-union and low paying Ryanair has had on the conditions of Aer Lingus workers. New recruits into Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann will inevitably be given "yellow pack" conditions. This is privatisation by stealth - they plan to run down the company and demoralise the workforce so they will be able to sell the companies off.

The leadership of SIPTU and the NBRU cannot be trusted. Activists should call "unofficial" meetings of SIPTU and NBRU members in Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann to discuss how to proceed. If senior union officials won't organise official strike action then the workers must organise "unofficial" strikes.
Strike committees should be elected in all the depots at mass meetings of bus workers. Votes should be taken at these mass meetings on a new date for a 24-hour strike. The strike committees should then instruct SIPTU and NBRU officials to declare this date as an official strike - if they refuse the strike committees should proceed and organise the strike anyway without their "leaders'" backing. Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann strike committees should link up with the workers in Aer Rianta. Joint strike action by Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann and Aer Rianta workers can defeat the Government. Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann workers can stop the break up of CIE and keep the private operators out. But only if they take control of this dispute and rely solely on themselves and the other workforces in CIE and Aer Rianta.

The Socialist Party says:

* Don't accept any deal that will sell-off the future jobs and conditions of bus workers

* Competition means profiteering and privatisation by stealth - no franchising of any routes

* Organise for a 24 hour strike action to derail the plans of the Government and union leaders

* For a properly funded and modern public transport system with affordable fares.