If A 20 per cent pay rise is not granted to Dublin Bus workers by October strike action will be taken, the National Bus & Rail Union (NBRU) has warned.
The union said it would bring the full weight of its "industrial power" against the company if it "prevaricated" over the claim, which was lodged yesterday.
The company said it had acknowledged receipt of the letter, and a meeting would take place shortly. It declined to comment on whether the 20 per cent claim was acceptable. In his letter, Mr Peter Bunting, general secretary of the NBRU, said members had unanimously agreed to seek the 20 per cent increase. "This decision has been taken on the basis of the current high wage economy so prevalent in the country at the moment," the letter said.
"An increase in wages is essential to halt the deterioration in our members' living standards and to reflect their commitment to what is the most stressful professional occupation any individual may undertake.
"We are of the opinion that at the close of Partnership 2000 this is the most opportune time to lodge this claim and await your early reply. We are confident of our ability to justify this claim in any forum so required."
Mr Bunting told The Irish Times the October deadline was necessary because Dublin Bus management were "experts at dragging out pay claims over long periods". He said NBRU members had watched people doing equivalent jobs in the private sector receiving generous pay awards in recent years.
"The figure of 20 per cent is needed because we have a lot of catching up to do," he said.
He rejected a suggestion that as Dublin Bus was facing new competition from private operators, the pay claim was badly timed.
"We have lived under the threat of competition for years and do not accept the argument that because private buses are on the roads we should have to settle for low pay," he said.
When CIE announced its results in July, Dublin Bus was the only one of its three subsidiaries to report a decrease in profits, down from £1.5 million to £1.3 million.