The Minister for Transport, Martin, Cullen is to hold a meeting tomorrow with representatives of SIPTU and of the NBRU, which is threatening to withdraw service on buses around the country on Thursday.
The Department of Transport said the issues that both unions are concerned with will be discussed at tomorrow's meeting, which comes after a request by letter to the department from SIPTU.
The NBRU say its members will withdraw services on Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus routes from 7pm on Thursday evening until Friday morning.
The union says the protest is over the Government's failure to provide additional buses for Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus and also to consult with unions over proposals for a new Dublin Transport Authority.
The majority of drivers working for both companies are members of the NBRU but SIPTU, whose members make up the remainder, say they expect their drivers also to take part in the protest.
SIPTU says it has also written to Mr Cullen over the Government's failure to provide an additional 100 buses for Dublin.
Both Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus say neither company received any official warning of the protest from the NBRU.
Dublin Bus says it is urging all those scheduled work on Thursday evening to turn up for work.
Bus Éireann estimates that thousands of commuters countrywide could be affected if drivers go ahead with their protest.
