Talks are continuing at the Workplace Relations Commission in a bid to resolve the Bus Éireann strike which has paralysed the company's nationwide bus service for 18 days.

Around 1,900 of the company's 2,600 strong workforce have now been without wages for almost three weeks.

Pressure is mounting on management too - with potential insolvency looming within weeks.

The company, which lost €50,000 a day in January, is currently losing €500,000 on every day of the strike action.

Around 110,000 passenger journeys have been disrupted each day - though many are expected to have moved their custom to private operators providing alternative services.

Draft proposals for efficiencies from drivers - including 120 job losses for drivers alone - were circulated yesterday.

Today's talks also include potential cuts affecting other grades.

SIPTU Organiser Willie Noone warned better paid management grades must take a bigger hit when cuts are imposed - but he also acknowledged a dilemma facing unions.

He said a balance would have to be found between losing jobs and maintaining as many decent jobs as possible.

He said yesterday's document had referred to 120 driver redundancies, but the final number could ultimately be a lot higher.

Meanwhile, National Bus and Rail Union General Secretary Dermot O'Leary noted that it taken up to seven years for change to be fully implemented in other CIE group companies - but Bus Éireann staff were being asked to do so overnight.

He warned that the Department of Transport and the CIE group would have to support Bus Éireann until concrete cash savings were delivered.

Management has declined to comment on the current talks, but Acting Chief Executive Ray Hernan has previously warned that without drastic cuts, the company could be insolvent by the middle of May.

Bus Éireann drivers picketing Capwell garage in Cork give their views on the ongoing strike pic.twitter.com/u1nyt0dsw8 — RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 10, 2017

Earlier, sources expressed the hope that a final document would emerge this evening, with Mr Noone raising the hope that buses could be running by the morning.

However, other sources noted that it could be logistically difficult to get buses back up and running at such short notice.

In addition whatever proposals emerge will have to be put to a ballot of members, with no guarantee that they will be accepted.

However, Mr Noone said that he expected buses would run while a ballot took place.

One proposal under discussion would involve consolidating a lot of ancillary payments like overtime, shift and other allowances into a basic pay rate.

However, while that could mean a pay increase for lower-paid drivers, it could see wage reductions for higher-earning workers.

A short time ago, one source described progress at the talks as "not great" - adding that a number of key issues affecting drivers had not yet been addressed.