The Labour Court has recommended that Dublin Bus and its unions call in an independent third party to compare rates of pay and working conditions for its drivers with those of drivers in the private sector. The proposal is being considered by both sides.
The top Dublin Bus basic rate is £268 a week. The unions, SIPTU and the National Bus and Railworkers' Union (NBRU), have presented a claim for a 20 per cent rise.
The company has refused to allow the increase on the basis that it is in breach of Partnership 2000 and would make the company uncompetitive.
The chairman of the Labour Court, Mr Finbarr Flood, has recommended that an agreed third party review the situation.
Meanwhile, the deadlock over viability plans at Bus Eireann and the extension of the DART to Greystones and Malahide continues. SIPTU and the NBRU have mandates from drivers in both companies for strike action if the management attempts to introduce unilateral changes.