Hitting the weakest

With the all out bus strike, organised by the two unions NBRU and SIPTU, 850,000 people were hit over the May bank holiday weekend. The first bank holiday weekend of the summer – a highlight for many families. Family outings had to be cancelled, long laid plans were scrapped.

The issue the unions have is, the fact that 10% of all Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann services is to be privatised. A decision, not made by those two bus companies, but by the Department of Transport.
Obviously, the two unions are of the opinion, that the privatisation of those routes are a threat to their members. To be honest, most users of those bus companies wouldn’t be tuned into the ins and outs of these politics. All they want is a good, reliable service. Whatever needs to be fine-tuned behind the scenes, should really remain behind the scenes. Ordinary punters who are going about their daily business shouldn’t really be at the receiving end. Just imagine, if everybody drags everyone else into their disputes. How disruptive would our lives be? Why do those unions believe, that they have the right to disrupt and agonise ordinary people’s plans to a nice weekend?

Strangely enough, those actions hits exactly those people, the unions claim to represent. The working class. It’s the people who rely on public transport who were hit hardest, not the ones with private transport. Surely, those people experienced some discomfort by sitting in heavy traffic, listening to their favourite CD or playing “I spy with my little eye” with their kids, but the real victims were the Citizens of this country who can’t afford to run a private car.