Bus Vannin drivers are being advised by their union to consider going onto new contracts - or risk losing lump sum payments they’ve been offered.

Unite has written to its members saying that in a very short time the drivers are likely to be ’forced’ onto the new terms, which pay a new flat rate of £13.50 for all hours worked.

If that happens, they will lose the £25,000 payment previously offered to those on original contracts or the £750 offered to the current new starters.

Unite has been in negotiations with Bus Vannin management for several weeks over a new starter agreement with options for existing staff to transfer to the new terms.

But its letter to members says coronavirus’s impact on government reserves has left them in a very different situation.

It reads: ’Unfortunately, the onslaught of the Covid-19 crisis has had a dramatic effect on these negotiations.

’As the island’s reserves are about to be depleted to an unprecedented level, the government feels these negotiations need to be concluded quickly and have viewed our contracts as no longer sustainable.

’We find ourselves taking the unprecedented step of advising the workforce to consider the situation and new terms very carefully under the circumstances.’

Under the new contracts, bus drivers will work on an ’any five days out of seven’ basis so that they can be rostered to work on Sundays. Currently, no driver can be required to work on a Sunday.

Unite says those who choose to remain on their existing contract likely run the risk of ’being forced onto the new terms within a short time afterwards without the payments’.

Bus drivers on old terms get a salary of about £28,000 but may expect to increase this to £36,000 by working weekends and public holidays at a higher hourly rate. Staff on new terms are currently paid £12.51 an hour for work on any day of the week while staff on old terms get £14.13 an hour on weekdays and £20.03 an hour at weekends.