Cork bus drivers fury after pay docked for refusing to work during status red weather warning

Bus Éireann has insisted that the safety of its staff is of “paramount importance” to the company despite several drivers receiving formal warnings after not working during Storm Bert.

The storm began on the night of Friday, November 22, and a status red rainfall warning was put in place by Met Éireann from midnight until 10am the following morning.

Several bus drivers felt that it was unsafe to work in those conditions.

Many of them feared that they would not be able to get home if they went to work — pointing out that Met Éireann’s advice was not to travel.

The company sent out warning letters to drivers who refused to work under these conditions, saying their refusal to work resulted in service cancellations.

“That willful disregard for the clear management instruction… is seriously concerning to us and we are confirming that any repeat action by you in the future, including any failure to adhere to service provisions requirements, or the clear instructions of management, will be deemed to be serious misconduct and dealt with through our disciplinary procedures,” the company stated.

Docked

Drivers who went home early on Friday, November 22, or did not work on Saturday were docked these hours from their pay, and many were very angry about the way they were treated by the company, a driver told The Echo.

“I haven’t met or talked to one single driver that was happy to go in and drive that day,” he said, adding that he expects more drivers to leave the company over this.

It comes as Bus Éireann has faced ongoing difficulties recruiting and retaining staff, resulting in service delays, cancellations, and over 872 services a week being cut by the company earlier this year.

A Bus Éireann spokesperson told The Echo: “In response to adverse weather conditions due to Storm Bert, Bus Éireann cancelled a number of services operating in the western areas of counties Cork and Galway between 12am–10am on Saturday, November 23.

“In advance of Storm Bert, Bus Éireann attended a number of sessions chaired by the national director for National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management where Met Éireann provided a detailed update and overview of the weather warning associated with Storm Bert.

“Red weather warnings for rain were issued for Cork and Galway, however, these were for western areas of both counties. At these briefing sessions, it was agreed that essential service operators would link with Met Éireann, aiming to continue operations subject to the prevailing local conditions.”

Detailed guidance

The spokesperson explained: “Using this detailed guidance, and in line with our adverse weather plan, we took the decision to cancel services only in the specific areas impacted by the red rain warning, with the decision taken to continue to operate services in other areas of the counties where the detailed information showed that the flood risks were at a lower level, and this was communicated to all drivers.

“Local teams monitored conditions on the ground and took appropriate actions to address any emerging issues.

“This approach, balancing safety with service provision, was also consistent with many other essential service providers such as Cork Airport, Irish Rail, Local Link, HSE and county/city council, which also continued operations.

“We are pleased to report that while some services experienced delays and a small number of services were cancelled or rerouted due to flooding, services largely operated without incident.

“The safety of our engers and staff is of paramount importance to Bus Éireann, and the operational decisions made in relation to Storm Bert were made following careful assessment of the available detailed information from Met Éireann and other key stakeholders.”