William Martin Murphy who has demanded a 35% reduction in pay. If Greyhound succeed in this dispute it will set off a further race to the bottom and lead to more employer attacks on workers' wages and conditions.

"In a country where significant numbers of people have already joined the category of the working poor, this is simply unacceptable."

Councillor MacVeigh concluded: "Whatever the outcome of any case, I shall be standing with the workers of Greyhound in their fight to maintain a decency threshold."