Time for bus unions to call off the strike

The bus unions have already seen off one transport minister who was keen on privatising part of the public bus services.

More than a decade ago, Fianna Fáil’s Seamus Brennan announced plans to tender out 25 per cent of Dublin Bus services.

The bus unions mobilised and threatened strike action, as well as complaining loudly to then taoiseach Bertie Ahern and his ministers. It certainly worked – Brennan lost his job as transport minister in the cabinet reshuffle and all talk of bus privatisation came to an end.

The peace deal with unions at ...