The Labour Court recommended changes to Dublin Bus’s competitiveness plan, including a six-point pay scale for drivers and a £1,000 lead-in payment. Its recommendation, dated 16 October 1998, concerned traffic grades including 2,100 drivers: 1,800 bus drivers and 300 minibus drivers.
The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union and the National Bus and Rail Union had negotiated with Dublin Bus for almost two years. The unions sought further changes, particularly on driver flexibility and contracting out school services, and said changes required extra funding. Dublin Bus said rejecting its proposals would have serious financial implications and estimated they could save about £5.2 million.
The Court said the plan’s underlying approach remained sound but recommended amendments. It proposed removing the first two points from the driver pay scale, paying the £1,000 lump sum in full on acceptance alongside a 5% increase retrospective to 30 August 1998, and completing the Autofare rollout by the end of March 1999.