Negotiations to end the island’s bus strike have failed.
The news means that the planned 12-day strike will continue throughout the TT festival.
The government this afternoon said that following further negotiations, no agreement has been reached with Unite the Union over pay, terms and conditions of bus drivers.
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Nick Black, chief executive officer of the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure, said: ‘The sticking point with the union continues to be the increase in the maximum duty length to four hours 30 minutes from three hours and 45 minutes.
‘It is important to note that not all duties will last four-and-a-half hours. In any event, drivers have been driving for four hours 30 minutes for quite some time on duties where premium pay is due.
‘It appears that a driving time that has been acceptable to drivers at £19.02 an hour is somehow unacceptable on days when drivers are paid their standard rate of £12.68. This cannot be a safety issue – if it is safe at £19.02 an hour it is safe at £12.68 an hour.
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‘Unite the Union’s national charter is arguing for a reduction to a duty length from five-and-a-half to four-and-a-half hours; bus drivers in the UK drivers are required to work up to five-and-a-half hours. Despite this, in these negotiations the local union reps seem to be suggesting that for some reason drivers are facing a health and safety issue.
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‘The department does not accept this, especially as the union’s latest proposal accepted that the four hours 30 minutes driving time would remain for duties paid at premium rate. The repeated comment that drivers are not allowed a comfort break during a duty is completely false. As any frequent bus traveller will know, drivers are permitted to leave the bus if they require a toilet break.
‘As part of the new contract, any duty that lasts longer than three hours and 45 minutes includes a comfort break at a location with suitable facilities.’
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Mr Black added: ‘The structure of the new contracts was not a management whim, it was the most efficient and effective way to make the required savings without impacting services or requiring job losses.
‘The department cannot afford to give away money that it does not have and we have been clear, open and honest with the union from the beginning of these negotiations.
‘By removing paid lunch breaks and increasing the maximum duty length by 30 minutes, bringing driving time in line with Unite the Union’s national charter, the department will meet its budget targets for both last year and this year whilst maintaining a comprehensive level of services.
‘We have already given assurances that these changes will guarantee that terms and conditions will remain unchanged until 2015.’
The DCCL runs the island’s nationalised bus service, Bus Vannin.
More on this story in the Isle of Man Examiner