Any attempt to sack bus drivers will only precipitate industrial action, the National Bus and Rail Union has warned.
The union, which represents drivers in Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann, will begin balloting members on Thursday if the companies press ahead with cutbacks.
NBRU general secretary Michael Faherty said the ballot was necessary to ensure the union had a mandate for industrial action so that it could act quickly if the company keeps to its proposed timetable .
He added that the NBRU had informed both companies that it would not engage in any negotiations on their respective cost cutting plans until such time as the probationary driver issue was addressed satisfactorily.
“We are resolute in our determination to ensure that a voluntary severance package is on offer to staff and it is on a seniority basis," Mr Faherty said. "This is the only acceptable solution to addressing any surplus staff issues that might arise.”
Last month Dublin Bus announced it was to make 290 staff redundant and reduce its fleet by 120 buses, while Bus Éireann confirmed that it intends to make 322 of its 2,700 staff redundant and remove 150 buses from its 1,300-strong fleet.
Approximately 30 Dublin Bus drivers yesterday staged a two-hour protest outside the Green Party’s office on Suffolk Street to highlight what it claimed was the “silence” of Green Party Ministers on the planned cuts.
Meanwhile, representatives from Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, the NBRU and Sitpu will appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport tomorrow to discuss cutbacks in public transport services.
Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport Frank Fahey said: “While we are conscious of the changed economic circumstances in which all companies in this country are now operating, the announcements by Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann have created an air of uncertainty among staff and commuters alike about how the cutbacks will affect services and staffing levels."