Public Transport Workers To Go On Strike

Public transport workers are to go on a 24 hour strike for the second time on Wednesday 6 May, the union Unite has confirmed.

The strike, over cuts to Translink's budget, will affect Metro, Ulsterbus and NI Railways services.

Unite regional secretary, Jimmy Kelly, said: "The proposed cuts will impact the most vulnerable people in our society - including the old and infirm, those with families, the working poor, those living in isolated, rural communities who are dependent on public transport.

"These cuts will compromise the integrity and inter-connectivity upon which Northern Ireland's public transport system rests.

"Our drivers and engineers are concerned that cuts to 'non-economic' services presage moves to break up and contract out profitable routes - a move that would undermine the 85% of routes that are non-profitable."

Mr Kelly has written to First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness requesting urgent meetings on funding for public transport.

Mr Kelly continued: "Unite is willing to work in a process over a period of years to deliver genuine efficiency gains but we believe that these can be achieved primarily through tackling the bloated and triplicated, high-cost management rather than by targeting the jobs of drivers and engineers through the false economy of cutting front-line services.

"Unite will be working with the other trade unions representing workers in Translink in taking forward this action."

(CD/MH)