BUS ÉIREANN MADE a loss of €4.2m last year and is projecting similar losses for this year, according to figures provided to the Labour Court.

The revelation about the public transport operator’s finances was brought to the attention of the court, which was overseeing a pay dispute between the company and 3,200 workers represented by five unions.

In that case, unions NBRU, Siptu, Unite, TSSA and Connect secured a recommendation from the Labour Court that a combined pay increase of 6.75%, over a two-year period to the end of December 2026, take place along with a pay voucher of €500.

A row came about after the unions’ members rejected pay proposals put forward by the Workplace Relations Commission. The group stated that a previous 3% pay increase on offer for each year was not sufficient or adequate.

The unions valued pay parity as requiring an increase of 12.7%, comparable to other CIE workers.

In response, Bus Éireann told the court that the current proposal offered represents the very limit of what is possible, in the context of what is affordable to the company. It said that in terms of the market, it was a very reasonable offer.

Bus Éireann set out the cumulative cost of the proposal that was balloted on and stressed that it had “made a loss of €4.2m in 2025 and was projecting similar losses for 2025″.

It also told the Labour Court that the proposal included other improvements to terms and conditions, which were valued at 1% of pay per year.

Deputy Chair of the Labour Court Louise O’Donnell recommended that the pay increase is made up of a 3.5% increase and a €500 voucher, effective from 1 January 2025. A further increase of 3.25% will be effective from the same date next year.

The €500 voucher will be payable to those employed on 1 January 2025 and remaining in employment at the date of acceptance of recommendation by the union. O’Donnell said the deal would expire on 31 December 2026.