Bus drivers talk to managers (From Witney Gazette)

Bus drivers talk to managers

2:26pm Tuesday 23rd January 2007 in Witney By Rosalind Miles

A UNION official has said Witney bus drivers are 'renegotiating' with Stagecoach managers a draft of service changes.

Sixty-three drivers at the town's depot threatened industrial action last week, because they were unhappy with new rotas.

It came after the company last month combined the 101, 102,103 and X2 Witney to Carterton services into a new 200 service.

Passengers also complained, because the new route also went via Oxford, meaning buses were delayed by city traffic.

The changes, which were introduced following an Oxfordshire County Council's review of bus subsidies, left drivers out of pocket by about £20 a week.

Darran Brown, Transport and General Workers' Union representative, said: "The mandate for industrial action still exists, but it has been suspended, and is still suspended, as we are re-negotiating."

If industrial action is taken, it would be a work-to- rule action, which means drivers would only work their set hours, with no overtime.

Mr Brown predicted this would cause disruption to services.

But Stagecoach marketing manager, Chris Child, insisted there would be no inconvenience to passengers.