Dermot O’Leary of the National Bus and Rail Union says that strike action by Dublin Bus drivers is inevitable unless they receive a boost in pay.
The results of a ballot for strike action will be known later next week, with O’Leary telling Chris Donoghue on The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk that he hopes there will still be intervention to stop a strike taking place.
“The message to our members would appear to be the only way they can get a pay rise is to go on strike,” O’Leary told Donoghue.
O’Leary added that, were the ballot for action to be passed on 29 July, the NBRU would be expected to immediately instigate strike action by its members in August.
“We’re trying to improve our drivers conditions,” he added. “Strike action is a nuclear action, but it could happen that way. One would hopes that someone will intervene to prevent a strike.
“We will try to minimise the impact to passengers.”
Dublin Bus drivers are seeking parity with the levels of pay enjoyed by Luas drivers since their long running dispute with Transdev earlier this year.
More than 330,000 commuters use Dublin Bus on a daily basis.
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