Bus drivers involved in the ongoing industrial dispute at Bus Vannin say there is ‘no end in sight’ to the strike action, with the union accusing the Department of Infrastructure (DoI) of failing to engage in meaningful negotiations.

Unite the Union says it has been ‘stonewalled’ by the department during the dispute, which centres on pay and proposed changes to terms and conditions.

The department however is adamant it remains committed to reaching an agreement with striking bus drivers that won’t increase fares or reduce services.

Unite members are currently taking part in their second round of industrial action after talks failed to resolve the long-running disagreement.

Services had only briefly returned to normal on Tuesday after drivers staged a 10-day walkout between February 22 and March 3.

That initial strike, involving all ‘big bus’ drivers, led to significantly reduced timetables and picket lines at depots in Douglas, Ramsey and Port Erin.

However, with negotiations still unresolved, Unite confirmed a further 20 days of industrial action.

The latest strike began today (Friday) and will continue until 3am on Tuesday, followed by additional periods of action from March 13 to 17, March 20 to 24 and March 27 to 31.

The DoI said Bus Vannin had held two meetings with the Manx Industrial Relations Service (MIRS) this week in an attempt to resolve the situation, insisting it remains ‘ready and willing to have positive and constructive negotiations’.

But Debbie Halsall, regional officer for Unite the Union on the Isle of Man, told Isle of Man Today that the union had heard nothing from the bus operator since the end of the first round of strikes earlier this week.

She also criticised the timing of the department’s announcement of the next round of strike dates, saying the DoI had been aware of the action before the 10-day walkout began.

She said discussions between the union and the department resumed on Thursday afternoon.

Bus Vannin issued a revised timetable for Friday, with a limited number of services operating and no school bus services running.

To help ease disruption for school pupils, the Manx Electric Railway is again running trams between Ramsey and Derby Castle.

The DoI confirmed last week that drivers received a 3% pay increase as part of this year’s settlement and said the median salary for a Bus Vannin driver is £36,000 per year.

However, that figure has been challenged by the Isle of Man Trades Union Council, which says it does not reflect consolidated or take-home pay.

The department has also stressed that services operating during strike periods are ‘compliant and safe’, thanking staff who have been delivering the contingency timetable during the disruption.

You can follow our dedicated live blog for the latest updates on bus service disruption HERE: https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-bus-strike-live-updates-on-service-disruption-as-second-walk-out-set-to-begin-881232