In January 1963 a group of busmen from Clontarf Garage met and discussed the possibility of forming a new Trade Union to cater specifically for busmen.

As a result of these discussions it was decided to seek legal opinion on the matter.

Three of the group, Jim McAuliffe, Tom Darby and Christopher O'Reilly were nominated to attend with Mr. M Hanahoe, Solicitors who subsequently contacted Senior Counsel J.B.Coleman, an expert in Trade Union law. After months of investigation by the legal team rules to govern the union were drafted and forwarded to the Register of Friendly Societies with an application for registration as a Trade Union.

Notification of registration was received on 28th August 1963 and it was registered as the Dublin City Busmens Union.

A Provisional Committee had been set up and they called a Press Conference on 8th October 1963, to announce the registration, the publication of which resulted in busmen from all Depots in Dublin joining our Union.

In November 1963 a delegation of Cork Busmen travelled to Dublin and after assuring themselves that our Union was properly constituted, entered into discussions with our Committee which eventually resulted in Busmen throughout the country joining our Union. On 13th January 1964 the name of our Union was changed to The National Busmens Union.

A loan of £1,000 was received from the Provincial Bank of Ireland and used to apply for a Negotiating Licence from the Department for Industry and Commerce and the Licence was subsequently issued on 11th March 1964.

With the arrival of female drivers into CIE the name of our union was changed to The National Busworkers Union and subsequently in 1979, when train drivers were accepted into our Union it was again changed to what is today The National Bus and Rail Union.

Ours is a totally independent Union and is not affiliated to any other body. Membership of our Union, at present, 3,500, is confined to drivers and operative grades in the CIE Group of Companies. Since its inception all those years ago our Union has been in the front line fighting for better pay and conditions for our members in the CIE Group of Companies.

On July 18th, 2003, the NBRU made industrial relations history by holding a 'No Fares Day' protest at plans to privatise our public transport system. For the first, and only time in Irish history, the travelling public had access to a fully integrated bus and train service without having to pay. Aspiring Transport Ministers Take Note!