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Translink and Unite make agreement on cost savings Translink and Unite make agreement on cost savings
(34 minutes later)
Translink and the Unite trade union have reached a provisional agreement on making cost savings. Translink and the trade union Unite have reached an agreement that will allow the transport company to save around £6m.
The union's members had been due to go on strike in May, but that was called off after Translink and the transport minister agreed to more consultation. There will be no redundancies among frontline staff but 75 management and administration jobs are going, accounting for the bulk of the savings.
Unite agreed to work with the company to produce efficiency proposals. Previously announced cuts to the frequency of some bus and rail services will go ahead in September.
The minister, Danny Kennedy, said some of the proposals could be delivered this year while others are more medium to long term in nature. Translink and Unite have agreed to work together to find more efficiencies.
A working group consisting of Translink and Unite representatives will be set up to take the proposals forward. Savings will also be made through a recruitment freeze.
The detail of what has been agreed is not yet clear. Safeguard
Adjustments Translink is under financial pressure after its grant from the Department for Regional Development was cut by £13m in the last year.
Translink's grant from the Department for Regional Development has been cut by £13m in the last year. Translink chief executive David Strahan said: "We have worked hard to minimise the impact of reduced funding on frontline services.
It needs to find savings of around £6m this year. "We have been able to protect the geographic coverage of the network, albeit with reduced frequency on some services."
Mr Kennedy said: "I want to welcome this decision and the agreement by both parties to continue to work together to ensure that Translink is an efficient and first-class public transport organisation." Unite had been due to go on strike in May but the action was called off after Translink agreed to further consultation.
Jimmy Kelly, Unite's Ireland secretary, said that while Translink would be making service adjustments in September they had been "reduced substantially". The union said it had brought forward a range of proposals for "off-setting efficiencies which would safeguard bus and rail services".
"No front-line workers, drivers or engineers, will face the threat of compulsory redundancy and Translink will not need a voluntary exit scheme," he added. Efficient
Jimmy Kelly, Unite's Ireland secretary, said that while Translink would be making service adjustments they had been "reduced substantially".
"No communities will lose access to public transport and no services will be removed without alternatives being provided," he said.
"No frontline workers, drivers or engineers, will face the threat of compulsory redundancy and Translink will not need a voluntary exit scheme."
Transport Minister Danny Kennedy welcomed the deal.
He said: "I want to welcome this decision and the agreement by both parties to continue to work together to ensure that Translink is an efficient and first-class public transport organisation."