Bus drivers feel vilified following reports that they are being offered £25,000 to relinquish their old terms and conditions, says their union.

Debbie Halsall, regional officer for Unite, confirmed that only four Bus Vannin drivers had accepted the pay-off - and the rest were refusing to take the money.

She said: ’A lot of our members don’t want this money or this contract grab.

’Bus drivers are hard-working, they provide a very good service and we’ve got members who are under a lot of pressure. They are being made to feel like the enemy. Bus drivers feel vilified.

’How about the upper management starting to relinquish their salaries?’

The Isle of Man Examiner last week exclusively revealed that the bus drivers were being invited to accept a £25,000 lump sum in exchange for accepting the new employment terms and conditions, or resigning.

It’s part of a move under the government’s SAVE programme to cut the taxpayer-funded subsidy to public transport by £1m over three years.

But it will also be seen as finally bringing to an end a dispute over terms and conditions dating back to 2012.

There are 50 drivers at Bus Vannin who are on old terms and conditions. The other 57 are on the new terms which were imposed in October 2012 by the then Department of Community, Culture and Leisure.

Under the new terms, all permanently employed drivers are paid the same flat hourly rate, irrespective of hours worked.

The offer of a lump sum was made by the Department of Infrastructure and is open for three months, ending on September 10.

If drivers choose to accept the offer, a conciliated settlement agreement will be signed through the Manx Industrial Relations Service.

If they choose to continue working for Bus Vannin but then leave through retirement, resignation or dismissal within 12 months they will be required to repay a proportion of the lump sum.

Unite members of Bus Vannin took part in a series of strikes over changes to the terms and conditions, beginning in December 2012 and culminating in a 12-day strike during TT 2013.

Bus drivers subsequently began working to new contracts which involved longer shifts, a 10% pay cut and the loss of paid lunch breaks which were aimed at saving £300,000 a year.

The DoI document outlining the £25,000 lump sum offer was supplied to Isle of Man Newspapers anonymously. But Mrs Halsall said: ’The person who sent you that document should be man or woman enough to attach their name to it.’

She said Unite opposes any such offers: ’It’s wrong, it’s dangling a carrot so we can have your contract. It’s not something we would agree to anywhere.’