CIE workers the key to transport strategy
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Subsidies for public transport in the 26 Counties are among the
lowest in Europe.
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``We the workers are sick, sore and tired of subventing public
transport out of our pockets''. This was the message from National
Bus and Railworker Union general secretary Peter Bunting to his
union's annual delegate conference last week.
The NBRU delegates voted unanimously to take any steps necessary
including industrial action to prevent the Dublin Government from
selling off CIE properties to finance investment in public
transport.
It had been reported that Public Enterprise minister Mary
O'Rourke planned to sell off CIE property in the new year.
However she gave a commitment at the NBRU conference to ``invite
the unions for talks'' on how to realise the asset value of CIE
property. The NBRU is opposed to a ``quick buck sale''.
Speaking to An Phoblacht Peter Bunting said ``successive
governments had underfunded public transport''. Now huge
investment was needed ``to offset years of neglect''.
Bunting cited the example of funding in Dublin Bus. Over the last
eleven years four productivity deals have been agreed with
workers at the company. In 1987 the company received a subvention
of £16.4 million. The subvention fell every year since to a low
of £3.65 million in 1996. In previous years the cost savings
achieved at the company were siphoned into exchequer finances.
Subsidies for public transport in the 26 Counties are among the
lowest in Europe. In Dublin 94% of the costs of running the
service are recovered in fare revenue leaving a subsidy of only
6%. Even in London the government still subsidises private sector
transport companies to the tune of 15% of costs. In Athens up to
50% of the transport costs are subsidised.
Privatisation is also an issue in the 26 Counties. Peter Bunting
secured a written commitment from Bertie Ahern in advance of last
year's Leinster House election that he was opposed to privatising
CIE. It is unclear whether this commitment is reflected in not
only the two coalition partners but also among Dublin Government
cabinet members.
Bunting pointed out the consequences of privatisation in Britain.
For example last April the Office of Fair Trading found that ten
bus companies in North-West England had struck secret deals to
push up fares.
In London a performance summary from London Transport found that
bus companies in the city customer satisfaction for the first
three quarters of 1997-'98 fell short of ``every single Department
of Transport target, with one exception - conditions of bus
stops/shelters''.
Bunting also maintains that the financial costs of gridlock in
Dublin is in excess of £1 billion annually through accidents,
pollution and lost working hours.
The solution lies with the government, according to the NBRU.
They propose: the immediate introduction of dedicated bus ways by
local authorities (not one full Quality Bus Corridor has been
implemented in Dublin); a tax charge on private carparking
spaces; park and ride facilities at various locations in the
suburbs of all cities; tax-free incentives for companies who
supply their employees with either rail or bus commuter tickets.
Two things are clear from the NBRU conference and the debate over
CIE's future. One, this the government must set the agenda on
developing transport not the private sector. Two the 12,000 CIE
workers have a vital role to play and must be included.
Will McCreevy end ward closures?
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What is the point of the state building hospitals and medical
wards if they are only going to be closed while waiting lists
increase?
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The weeks are counting down to Charlie McCreevy's budget and
already the good news leaks are flowing from the department of
Finance. This week's good news vibe was that McCreevy has over £1
billion extra to spend.with £500 million earmarked for tax cuts
and the rest to be spread across government departments.
Spending on health is to increase by 9%. It looks good on paper
but in the last week health workers at Galway's university
hospital took industrial action in opposition to the closure of
60 hospital beds and the lay off of nursing staff.
Similar closures have been implemented at hospitals across the
state. Any increase in health spending is welcome but it must be
accompanied by comprehensive review of how our health service
operates.
What is the point of the state building hospitals and medical
wards if they are only going to be closed while waiting lists
increase? These are the issues that Charlie McCreevy should be
addressing this week, not leaking budget details.