Dublin Bus payment deal reached | University Observer

By Keri Heath | Oct 9 2016

AFTER six days of strikes and over 30 hours of talks, the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) and Dublin Bus reached an agreement last week that cancelled planned strike dates that were planned for next week and the rest of October.The deal will bring an 11.25% pay increase over the next three years for Dublin Bus drivers, at just under 4% per year.This pay raise is similar to the increase gained by Luas workers early this year, following their industrial action. The new offer to Dublin Bus workers was 3% higher than the raise recommended by the Labour Court several weeks ago, an offer that was rejected by Dublin Bus at that time.The NBRU has said that workers in Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, other transportation services owned by the state, have already filed pay claims.In addition, the Government may now face the possibility of strike action by both Gardaí and second-level teachers. Both groups have opposed the Landsdowne Road Agreement, a section of the Government’s public service pay policy that provides about €2,000 each increases for public service staff by 2018.