TIME is running out for a negotiated settlement in the bus drivers’ dispute.
Notices to terminate the exisitng contracts of the island’s 110 bus drivers were served a week last Saturday.
The first of the notice periods are due to expire this week. Notice periods depends on length of service of each driver and ranges from two to 12 weeks.
Further talks between management and the union were held on Friday to try to resolve the issue.
Nick Black, chief executive for the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure said: ‘Unfortunately, an agreement has not been reached. The department faces extremely difficult financial challenges and achieving budget targets in this financial year is imperative. The proposals put forward by Unite the Union did not achieve the level of savings required.
‘I appreciate the difficulty that drivers face but their basic and enhanced rates of pay remain unaffected. The subject of these negotiations has been the additional allowance for paid lunch breaks. Whilst I accept there will be an unwelcome financial impact on drivers, savings have to be made and the paid lunch break was identified as something that the Department could no longer afford or justify.’
All drivers are being offered immediate re-employment on new terms and conditions, based on those that were twice recommended to them for acceptance by their union but were rejected at ballot.
Under the offer rejected by the Unite membership, drivers’ lunch breaks will no longer be paid, sick pay will reduce to being based on 37 hours per week and maximum driving time will increase from three hours 45 minutes to four hours 10 minutes,
Mr Black added: ‘The department has done everything to ensure a fair conclusion for its drivers. Negotiations have been conducted since March 2012.
‘The initial ballot was delayed to allow for union elections; a second ballot was held after the Department’s preferred solution, one which had a lesser financial impact on the drivers, was not put to them. That ballot, which had the union’s recommendation to accept, was delayed at the union’s request. A third unsuccessful ballot was held, again with the union recommendation to accept. Further delays were not an option and it was with great regret that the department had to issue notice of termination letters with the offer of new contracts. Despite that, we remained open for negotiations and proposals that would achieve the required level of savings. This has not yet been possible.’
Mr Black said: ‘The department’s position has always been and remains the same; we will accept an alternative proposal that achieves the same level of savings. This remains an option until the last minute. However, I must emphasise that achieving the budget targets is not an option for the department but a necessity.’
