Cork City Council backs motion seeking protection for public transport workers

The March meeting of Cork City Council approved a motion from Labour Party councillor John Maher supporting a trade union campaign which seeks to protect public transport workers.

The motion backed a campaign by Siptu, the largest union in the public transport sector, on respecting transport workers.

Mr Maher’s motion, which was passed without a vote, committed the council to support the Siptu campaign and to write to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan seeking his support for the campaign.

Last month, Adrian Kane, divisional organiser over Siptu’s transport, energy, aviation and construction division, said the union’s members were “experiencing an epidemic of antisocial behaviour and it’s getting worse”.

Survey

A recent survey of Siptu workers found that more than half of staff in the sector experience antisocial behaviour on at least a weekly basis.

Speaking after the meeting of Cork City Council, Mr Maher said it had been important that his motion supporting public transport workers had passed with cross-party support.

“It’s not a token, but an important message from this city council that we will seek to protect public transport workers.

“That needs to be followed up now by the minister by establishing the National Transport Advisory Council which has been part of legislation since 2008,” Mr Maher said.

Pilot scheme

Peter Horgan, Labour Party local election candidate in the South East ward, said his party had been seeking, over countless years, a pilot scheme for a public transport police unit.

“We have the very first 24-hour bus service but we need to see how a public transport police unit will work.

“If the ministers for justice and transport keep shaking their head then we’ll never see any change,” Mr Horgan said.

Laura Harmon, Labour Party local election candidate in Cork City South West, said the safety and well-being of transport workers had to be paramount, and that current measures were insufficient to protect them from rising levels of abuse.