Dublin Bus Strike Confusion Gave a Boost to the Mercenaries

For the second time this year the 26 Co. Army were introduc: role 2s Strixe-Dreakers. Las was to scab on the Dublin Corporation electricians, this tyme.on C.1.E. busmen.

As in any pubf/ic transport strike it was through general exasperation of the thousands that travel by bus each day and who were footsore by the 5th week of the strike, that the army were able to slip in at that crucia stage and pose as the saviours of the people. But it was also through attacks and misrepresentation of the busmen by Press and T.V. which played a major part in the confusion. Playing up interviews with people who have to walk to work, walk to do their shopping etc. gives far from a true picture of a strike. The main hardship caused by a strike falls on the workers involved and on their families.

The effective pressures of any strike are both economic and - personal: C.1.E. was hit financially while thousands of Dublin workers were hit personally. But.the tendency has been to blame it on the busmen. Somehow C.1.E. got off the hook for any criticism and that has been the most unjust aspect of the last nine weeks along with the leadership of the two unions involves who used the strike as a fighting arena for power.

As with any progressive strike the-principle is the right of workers to withdraw their labour as a weapon in the fight for better case of th 1.E. busmen meant a 5-day week. The strike starte” when the rosters far the new hours of the 5-day week were put up in the depots and busmen for the first time saw the conditions under which they which the 5-day week had been given — 6 days work crammed nto 5 days. The 2 unions involved the N.B.U. (National Busmens Union) and the 1.T.G.W.U. (Irish Transport and General Workers Union) had Originaify accepted the conditions for the week although the rank and file members were extremely confused as to what these conditions were until they appeared on the roster two weeks before the 5-day week was due to begin.

The N.B.U. was formed by former members of the |.T.G.W.U. after that union had failed on several occasions to take a lead in demanding better pay and conditions for busmen. Since then there has been hostility between the two. The issue of the 5-day week has been common ground for joint action of the two unions, ground which has been strengthened over the years because of CIE’s refusal to listen to even the recommendations of the Labour Court on the implementation of a 5-day week. But instead of the two unions joining together in support of better conditions for gained. their members the leadership turned it into a power struggle through which only C.1.E. and the government The issue of the ‘dispute’ between the unions is extremely bad for the C.1.E_busmen. It is splitting the Eu Tor it. workers’ ranks on an issue which is of great importance to them all. If unity in action against C.1.E. cannot be found by the two Unions’ Executives, then the rank and file must Organise themselves to work