This one's fucking Gonzo.
We've a semi-public bus company in this country called Bus Eireann. It's currently running at a loss, and being given a subvention by the government to keep rural routes open. Most of these are loss-making routes, but necessary for students and elderly. There are private bus companies, but most of them run direct, city to city without stopping at any of the towns. There's a lot feeding that - most anyone living in rural communities have more or less fucked off either to Canada or Dublin - so it's all in decline. It's not unusual to see either entire main streets left empty - or filled with pubs and takeaways. Neither are good. Everyone either commutes away, or is too old to do much else but sit in the house and watch the clock tick.
Naturally, the people left behind like the last rats on the Titanic are quick to protest their buses being taken away.
The Company meanwhile is doing everything it can to stay alive. First and foremost, buy cutting people, pay and overtime. Naturally, the Union is getting in a snit about this. I'd imagine most people would. Here's the rub - it's been clear for the last year that the company was having a minor problem, quickly festering into a major one, but management sort of fiddled, sat back and decided to rack up the pressure by holding off on the changes up until the sword of damacles was dangling in the hope that they'd shock the Union into acting - the Union called their bluff and now the company is loosing 500k a day in a dispute, with 7-9 million in reserve.
So far, the company has 7 days to live.
Now, enter the transport minister, Shane Ross, who is about as effect as effective as Transport Minister as your average Kamikaze was as a Pilot. It's pretty much a certain thing that he's deliberately crashing the company by cutting the subvention to below what's sustaineable. And despite the entire country calling on him to get involved in a way that'll end the dispute or at least try fucking mediate (Which is his job as fucking Transport Minister) has just sort of sat there on his hands and watched, saying it has nothing at all to do with him...
So, we've a government that's determined to crash the company and privatise everything. Usually for their friends. The Union of course, has just realised this. So sprung up surprise pickets at railroad stations and city bus depots - which the drivers won't pass. (Because seriously, passing a picket is worse than pissing on a kitten socially.... you don't fucking do it.) Which meant that the entire goddamned country ground to a halt this morning.
Anyone who had a car, took to the road.
Those who didn't, took the day off.
Oh, and here's a doozy. Car ownership just isn't viable for many people these days. With insurance spiralling out of control and talk of motoring taxes increasing again.....
We're all on this plane, and the trio who're supposed to be flying it are doing everything the can to stick it in the ground. No matter which one wins, we're all going to lose.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
We've a semi-public bus company in this country called Bus Eireann. It's currently running at a loss, and being given a subvention by the government to keep rural routes open. Most of these are loss-making routes, but necessary for students and elderly. There are private bus companies, but most of them run direct, city to city without stopping at any of the towns. There's a lot feeding that - most anyone living in rural communities have more or less fucked off either to Canada or Dublin - so it's all in decline. It's not unusual to see either entire main streets left empty - or filled with pubs and takeaways. Neither are good. Everyone either commutes away, or is too old to do much else but sit in the house and watch the clock tick.
Naturally, the people left behind like the last rats on the Titanic are quick to protest their buses being taken away.
The Company meanwhile is doing everything it can to stay alive. First and foremost, buy cutting people, pay and overtime. Naturally, the Union is getting in a snit about this. I'd imagine most people would. Here's the rub - it's been clear for the last year that the company was having a minor problem, quickly festering into a major one, but management sort of fiddled, sat back and decided to rack up the pressure by holding off on the changes up until the sword of damacles was dangling in the hope that they'd shock the Union into acting - the Union called their bluff and now the company is loosing 500k a day in a dispute, with 7-9 million in reserve.
So far, the company has 7 days to live.
Now, enter the transport minister, Shane Ross, who is about as effect as effective as Transport Minister as your average Kamikaze was as a Pilot. It's pretty much a certain thing that he's deliberately crashing the company by cutting the subvention to below what's sustaineable. And despite the entire country calling on him to get involved in a way that'll end the dispute or at least try fucking mediate (Which is his job as fucking Transport Minister) has just sort of sat there on his hands and watched, saying it has nothing at all to do with him...
So, we've a government that's determined to crash the company and privatise everything. Usually for their friends. The Union of course, has just realised this. So sprung up surprise pickets at railroad stations and city bus depots - which the drivers won't pass. (Because seriously, passing a picket is worse than pissing on a kitten socially.... you don't fucking do it.) Which meant that the entire goddamned country ground to a halt this morning.
Anyone who had a car, took to the road.
Those who didn't, took the day off.
Oh, and here's a doozy. Car ownership just isn't viable for many people these days. With insurance spiralling out of control and talk of motoring taxes increasing again.....
We're all on this plane, and the trio who're supposed to be flying it are doing everything the can to stick it in the ground. No matter which one wins, we're all going to lose.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
