Six pay offers made to bus drivers since November

Letter seen by Manx Radio shows details of negotiations

A total of six pay offers have been made by government to bus drivers since November 2025, according to correspondence seen by Manx Radio.

In a letter sent to employees and anonymously shared with Manx Radio’s newsroom today (2 March), Director of Buses Ian Bates says the details have been released to “ensure every member of Bus Vannin has clear, accessible information about the offers made over recent months”, regardless of union membership.

The document reveals details of each offer and states they have all been rejected by Unite the Union.

FIRST OFFER

In November 2025, a weekend rate of time-and-one-third (£21.41 before the annual three percent pay award was agreed) was proposed for all drivers.

In return, the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) asked for “extensive modernisation of working practices and terms and conditions to help fund the cost through efficiencies”.

The DOI says “this offer also consolidated the shift disturbance allowance into the weekend rate” and “would have aligned all drivers on the same rates”.

However, “Unite rejected this offer, requesting instead a simple financial offer without any changes to terms and conditions”.

SECOND OFFER

In December 2025, a revised offer was made “with limited changes to terms and conditions” of an extra £1 per hour on Saturdays (£17.06) and £2 per hour (£18.06) on Sundays and bank holidays.

The DOI says this offer also “included alignment of PSC sick pay arrangements”.

THIRD OFFER

In February this year, a consolidated hourly rate of £16.88 on all weekday hours was proposed, plus a weekend premium of £1.20 per hour on Saturdays and £2.20 on Sundays and bank holidays, along with a one-off payment of £200 for drivers on old terms.

The DOI says “this offer also included improvements such as duty rosters agreed four weeks in advance, an improved holiday booking system, and a transition to monthly pay”.

FOURTH OFFER

A fourth offer was made in February - “a single flat rate of £17.20 for all hours worked, including consolidation of the shift disturbance allowance. The supporting measures remained the same, focusing on consistency, fairness, and improved rostering and leave processes.”

FIFTH OFFER

The fifth offer in February was again £17.20 per hour for all hours worked.

“New starters would move to monthly pay immediately and onto a 48-month rolling sick pay arrangement. All other drivers would transition to monthly pay by September, and task-and-finish groups would work through key topics such as rostering, holiday allocation, collective bargaining and sickness arrangements.”

SIXTH OFFER

Finally, the most recent offer on the table in February was a standard consolidated rate of £16.84 per hour for all hours worked.

In addition, the DOI proposed an unconsolidated £1,000 payment for each full-time bus driver.

New starters would move to monthly pay immediately and onto a 48-month rolling sick pay arrangement, with all other drivers transitioning to monthly pay by September. Task-and-finish groups would work through key topics such as rostering, holiday allocation, collective bargaining and sickness arrangements.

All of the above offers were rejected by the union.

The details of the behind-closed-doors negotiations come on the eve of striking drivers going back to work, as the current walkout will end at 3am tomorrow (3 March).

However, further action is planned later this week if Unite the Union and the Department of Infrastructure are unable to settle their dispute over pay and contractual issues.

Strike dates have been announced for every weekend in March, Friday to Monday, meaning the next could be Friday 6 March to Monday 9 March.

Bus Vannin says that if those strikes proceed, “contingency timetables will be in place, trams will operate and additional car parking on the Douglas Promenade will remain available for free parking”.

“The priorities will remain services between Douglas and Noble’s Hospital, and Douglas and the Island’s main towns.”

In an update online this evening, the operator added: “Bus Vannin appreciates that passengers have been in difficult situations because of the Unite the Union strike, but it would like customers to remain courteous to drivers. Abusive behaviour will not be tolerated.”

Manx Radio has contacted both the DOI and Unite regarding the contents of the leaked letter.