Dublin Bus has 582 surplus drivers due to the reduction in services because of the Covid-19 emergency - and the company has warned unions that funding constraints may materialise when the emergency ends.
The surplus arose following the decision by the National Transport Authority and the Government to reduce transport services to "Saturday Plus" levels because of a significant fall in passenger numbers.
Dublin Bus now wants staff to use up five days of annual leave between now and 5 May, when the situation will be reviewed. According to a bulletin from the National Bus and Rail Union to members, the original company request on 29 March was for workers to take ten days of annual leave between now and the end of June.