Bus drivers reject latest pay proposal as strike enters fifth day

Unite says offer weaker than previous position and fails to address 'core issues'

Bus drivers involved in ongoing industrial action on the Isle of Man have rejected what they describe as a revised pay proposal from Bus Vannin.

Members of Unite the Union are staging 10 days of walkouts in a dispute over pay and contractual terms.

The strike is now in its fifth day, with a reduced contingency timetable in place and the Manx Electric Railway operating.

In a statement issued following talks held yesterday afternoon, Unite claims the latest offer was delivered over the phone and was "weaker than the position discussed last week".

The union believes the proposal included a one-off payment and adjustments within the existing pay structure, but claims it would retain what it described as a “two-tier system” and did not address what it considers to be the core issues in the dispute.

Unite says the disagreement centres on what it calls "fair, consolidated and pensionable pay, parity across drivers, and recognition of all hours worked". It says drivers are working between 40 and 45 hours a week on a flat rate, and argues that conditions have changed over time without a sustainable long-term settlement being reached.

The union also rejected suggestions the dispute is about "grabbing a bonus", stating that members voted for industrial action after negotiations failed to produce what it views as a fair outcome.

Unite says it remains willing to continue discussions in an effort to resolve the dispute, but maintains that an offer it considers to be less favourable than previous proposals does not move negotiations forward.

Manx Radio has approached Bus Vannin and the Department of Infrastructure for response.