Dublin Bus drivers are seeking a 30pc pay rise as they look for "parity" with Luas tram drivers.

The National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) said that the terms and conditions afforded to the Transdev drivers were kept under what they called a "veil of secrecy" for years until the recent dispute.

The Labour Court will hear the pay claim on Thursday, after a previous deal offering a rise of 6pc over two years was turned down.

They are seeking the 18.2pc pay increase won by the Luas drivers, and another 12pc which represented pay increases given to the tram drivers in recent years.

Any pay increase must also be included as pensionable pay, according to the NBRU's General Secretary, Dermot O'Leary.

"You can't treat one worker in the same sector different from another," he said.

He added that drivers expect their pay claims to be taken seriously without having to resort to industrial action - but they have not ruled it out.

Irish Independent