Following extensive discussions on Monday 20th August, an agreed proposal between the Department of Community Culture and Leisure and Unite the Union was put to a ballot of bus drivers employed by the Department. The ballot was concluded through the Industrial Relations Office on 21 September 2012.
 
The key changes to the terms and conditions involved ending the current arrangements for paid lunch breaks.  The Department of Community, Culture and Leisure is disappointed that drivers have decided not to accept the proposals. 
 
Minister for Community, Culture and Leisure, Hon G Cregeen MHK commented: ‘I am disappointed with the result of the ballot. However, what disappoints me most is that the Department made two offers to bus drivers. Even though I wrote to all drivers on the 6th August explaining the two offers, only one offer was put to the drivers. That offer was the one that had the biggest financial impact on drivers.’ 
 
The Minister continued: ‘The Department’s preferred offer was based on a package of measures that compensated the loss of paid lunch breaks with other efficiencies whereby payment could be gained based on the duties undertaken under the new conditions.  This would have meant a lesser impact from the removal of paid lunch breaks on individual earnings. The impact of the loss of paid lunch breaks depends upon the number of shifts worked, but on average it is calculated to be about £3,400 per driver per year. The preferred offer would have reduced the individual impact to about £2,000 per driver and would have been valid for 2 years.’ 
 
Efficiency changes that were originally agreed with bus drivers’ representatives as part of the preferred offer were that sick pay would no longer be paid for the first seven days of absence and that the maximum driving time would increase from 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes.
 
The Minister added: ‘The preferred solution involving increased efficiencies was actually put to us by drivers’ representatives.  As it allowed the Department to make the annual savings it requires, I was very happy to be flexible.  The reason I wrote to drivers in August was that the Union withdrew this offer and decided not to put it to the drivers.’
 
Finally, the Minister said: ‘The Department’s preferred solution will remain available to drivers as it allows the required savings; whatever solution is agreed for the 1st October, the Department must make the same level of savings. Our budgets are already very challenging and it is quite possible that we will have to make further reductions.  I feel that it is important that the Department makes every economy it can within its own operations.”
 
The Department expects to discuss the outcome of the ballot with representatives of Unite the Union on the afternoon of Friday 21st September.