Reinstate Dublin Bus Shop Steward

national | worker & community struggles and protests | news report Sunday March 28, 2010 18:25 by Trade Unionist - Dublin Bus

Eugene McDonagh, a shop steward and an executive member of the NRBU, has been victimised by Dublin Bus
Speakers: Jimmy Kelly, UNITE; Denis Keane, CPSU. John Kidd, SIPTU firefighters, Christy Maginn, ASTI (all in personal capacity)
UNITE HALL, Middle Abbey St Dublin Thursday 1st April 8pm

Launch meeting of Campaign to Re-Instate Eugene McDonagh.
Eugene McDonagh, a shop steward and an executive member of the NRBU, has been victimised by Dublin Bus ( See story below)
Speakers: Jimmy Kelly, UNITE; Denis Keane, CPSU. John Kidd, SIPTU firefighters, Christy Maginn, ASTI (all in personal capacity)
UNITE HALL, Middle Abbey St Dublin Thursday 1st April 8pm

Dublin Bus Victimise Trade Unionist
Eugene McDonagh, an executive member of the National Bus and Rail Workers union, has been sacked from his job in Dublin Bus. Eugene has been a driver for twenty one years. He has a clean safety record and was only sick once - because he was assaulted while at work. He has consistently won an attendance bonus. In every way, he was a model employee but his crime was that he was also a decent trade unionist.
Traditionally, bus drivers had a right to a say on their schedules. If their routes were changed, management had to first discuss it with the drivers. Far from this leading to any ‘inefficiency’, workers were treated with a bit of respect and morale was high. Drivers also knew more about traffic on their routes and could make constructive suggestions,
Last year, Dublin Bus went on the offensive and pushed through a deal where this traditional right was lost.
On two separate occasions, drivers voted to reject a deal but were finally pressurised into accepting it on the third vote. The deal was due to be implemented on Sunday 26th April 2009 but drivers In Harristown were upset when they found that new rosters unilaterally imposed on them. Eugene McDonagh sought to negotiate on behalf of his members on this matter with the management and agreed to come in on a Saturday, on his day off, to do so.
But the management refused all attempts to settle the matter. In other garages, extra time was given to settle similar disputes like this.
Faced with a fragrantly provocative management action, some drivers refused to drive their buses and a two and a half day unofficial strike occurred. As a good trade unionist Eugene McDonagh stood by his members and eventually negotiated a settlement, where it was agreed there would be no disciplinary action. Within a month, however, the management sent letters to about 30 staff threatening them with disciplinary and legal actions. Workers were told that they could be sued for ‘damages’ caused to the company by the strike. Each worker was then taken in for interview and told that the only way to avoid being sued for damages – and for many that could have meant the loss of their family home- was to name an ‘instigator’ of the strike who had ‘pressurised’ them into taking action.
Despite this pressure, only two drivers agreed to make statements naming Eugene McDonagh. One of those drivers was held for four and a half hours in an interview before signing his name to a statement.
Scadalously, the Union President represented the young driver and actually wrote out the statement himsely for the driver to sign!! Knowing full well it would result in Eugenes sacking. The union official implicitly told the driver failure to sign would result in his own sacking.
This driver subsequently withdrew that statement – but it was, nevertheless, used in kangaroo court proceeding to convict Eugene McDonagh. Despite many drivers clearly indicating that Eugene McDonagh did not cause the strike, he was tried and convicted by a vindictive management on the word of one man. They have only been able to get away with this disgraceful action because his own union colluded with them. The NRBU was founded as a militant breakaway many years ago but today it works closely with Dublin Bus management.

Instead of ballot to take official strike action against the oppressive disciplinary proceeding launched against Eugene McDonagh and the other drivers, it launched its own spurious investigation. The whole case indicates the deeply repressive regime that is now being developed against active trade unionists. A section of the boss class (employers) want to break unions and will even try to drive decent people like Eugene McDonagh out of work.
The agenda of Dublin Bus is to cut further bus routes and reduce its service.
We appeal to all our readers to do everything they can to rally support for this victimised trade unionist. You can do this by
1. Publicising the facts contained here as widely as possible.
2. Coming to launch meeting of the Campaign to Re-instate Eugene McDonagh. This takes place in the UNITE Hall, Middle Abbey St Dublin on April 1st at 8pm.