‘Why are we waiting?’

Unite, which represents bus drivers in Weymouth and Bridport, is waiting to hear if the company will agree to the terms of reference for arbitration talks under the auspices of the conciliation service, Acas.

Unite today (August 17) issued a ‘Why are we waiting?’ call to the management of First Hampshire & Dorset Ltd to respond to the arbitration offer for talks aimed at ending the two-month dispute into ‘poverty pay’ for the more than 110 drivers.

“We are keen to get the arbitration process rolling, but the company has yet to agree the terms of reference,” said Unite regional officer Bob Lanning.

“I think our members and the local community have every right to ask, ‘Why are we waiting?’

“Our members are on strike this week and have five days of strike action planned next week,” he added.

“Given the company’s bad faith throughout this dispute, the drivers won’t even consider suspending the strikes until we have a copper-bottomed agreement for a date for the Acas talks.”

Unite said a key example of the company’s bad faith was exposed last month when the company, part of the highly profitable First Group, was revealed to be docking company sick pay on strike days for cancer sufferers and those with serious heart conditions, even though they had been ‘signed off’ sick by their GP.

The five new days of strike action start at 4.30 am on August 22, concluding at 4.29 am on August 23; at 4.30 am on August 24, concluding 4.29 am on August 25 and from 4.30 am on August 26, concluding at 4. 29 am on August 29.

Unite has said that the pay dispute would cost just ÂŁ48,000-a-year to settle, while the losses caused by the two month-old dispute are now ÂŁ250,000 plus and could reach ÂŁ500,000, if the industrial action continues for three months.

@ShaunSearsNoble