Dublin Bus services to stop at 9pm on Wednesday ahead of strike

“This is an unnecessary move which will just further inconvenience the travelling public”, organiser Owen Reidy said.

Mr Reidy added: “Since our members overwhelmingly voted in favour of industrial action last month, there has been no engagement with the Department of Transport or Dublin Bus management, apart from a one-hour meeting”.

About 400,000 bus users will be left seeking other transport as the pay dispute escalates to three 48-hour strikes this month.

“On Wednesday, September 7th, the final departures on all Dublin Bus services will be up to and including 21.00”.

No Dublin Bus routes, sightseeing tours or Airlink services will be operating on Thursday or Friday, while Nitelink services will also not operate on Friday/Saturday night (they will operate on Saturday/Sunday night).

In a statement, Dublin Bus said it will have no option but to terminate all routes at 9pm tomorrow to ensure buses are back in their depots before the strike commences at midnight.

Pickets are planned for Clontarf, Conyngham Road, Harristown, Ringsend, Phibsboro, Donnybrook and Summerhill and the head office on O’Connell Street.

Dublin Bus said it had urged trade unions not to engage in the planned industrial action, which it said would cause unnecessary inconvenience to customers.

Siptu called for Dublin Bus bosses and officials in the Department of Transport to radically change their approach. However, over the last six years the state subvention has been reduced by 24%.

Dublin Bus, which says it does not have the money to pay any more than 8.25%, apologised to customers.

However sources at Dublin Bus have rejected the claims.

The dispute arose after Dublin Bus unions rejected a Labour Court recommendation of a general 8.25% pay award for all its 3,364 employees over three years (or 2.75% per year) without productivity.

To achieve such pay parity they would require increases of about 31 per cent in total.

Dublin Bus workers are striking in order to seek a 15% pay increase – which would bring them up to the same salary as a Luas driver.