Workers’
Party Councillor, Ted Tynan, has expressed solidarity with striking Bus Éireann
workers in Cork today, saying that the responsibility for the strike rests
squarely with the government.
Cllr. Tynan
said that despite claims to the contrary from Minister Pascal Donohue and the
National Roads Authority, the government was determined to privatise a much larger portion of public transport than
the 10% currently proposed which he described as a foot in the door which would
inevitably be kicked open if workers didn’t take a stand.
“On this May
Day I am calling for solidarity for and understanding towards the Bus Éireann
and Dublin Bus drivers and to all workers in Ireland and internationally. This strike is being portrayed as being about
disruption and stubbornness – in fact it is about the very survival of publicly
owned and operated public transport”.
“The Workers’
Party calls on the government to abandon the route privatisations and to properly fund public transport. It needs to be pointed out that Ireland has
one of the lowest rates of state subsidy for public transport in the European
Union. Instead of selling off the most
lucrative routes to purely profit oriented operators, the state should be
investing in building a public transport service fit for purpose.”, said Cllr.
Tynan
