Bus Éireann informed the Labour Court that it incurred a loss of €4.2 million last year and expects to face similar losses in 2025, reports Breaking News.
This information was presented as part of the Labour Court’s recommendation for a combined pay increase of 6.75 percent over two years, ending December 2026, alongside a €500 pay voucher for Bus Éireann’s 3,200 employees.
The dispute arose after the 3,200 workers, represented by the NBRU, SIPTU, UNITE THE UNION, TSSA, and CONNECT, rejected pay proposals from the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) by a vote of 64 percent to 36 percent, reports Breaking News.
The unions argued that the proposed 3 percent pay rise per year was insufficient and did not meet their expectations.
They sought a straightforward pay increase aligned with other CIE companies and aimed for pay parity with Dublin Bus.
The unions estimated that achieving pay parity would require a 12.7 percent increase, reports Breaking News.
Bus Éireann countered by stating that the current pay proposal represented the maximum they could reasonably offer and was affordable for the company.
They told the Labour Court that, in their view, the offer was very reasonable given market conditions, reports Breaking News.
Bus Éireann outlined the total cost of the balloted proposal and emphasized their €4.2 million loss in 2024, with similar losses projected for 2025.
They also noted that the proposal included additional improvements to terms and conditions, valued at 1 percent of pay annually, with some groups benefiting from further changes, cautioning that percentage increases should not be considered alone, reports Breaking News.
Deputy chairwoman of the Labour Court, Louise O’Reilly, recommended a pay increase of 3.5 percent plus a €500 voucher starting January 1st this year.
She also recommended a further 3.25 percent pay rise effective January 1st, 2026, with the €500 voucher payable to those employed on January 1st, 2025, who remain employed when the recommendation is accepted.
Ms O’Reilly stated that the pay agreement would expire on December 31st, 2026, and that the parties agree to negotiate no later than four months before the deal’s expiry to arrange a successor agreement, reports Breaking News.
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