A document purporting to be an offer to unions from bosses at the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure has been leaked to Manx Radio.
Entitled “Proposal from DCCL” and dated March 14, the two pages set out the department’s position in the ongoing bus dispute which will see more walkouts next Wednesday.
It’s emerged after unions claimed the department withdrew an offer to end the strike, with transport bosses claiming no offer was ever made.
In the proposal, the department’s chief executive Nick Black says drivers would have to give up the paid lunch breaks, but says issues such as rearranging medical appointments out of peak times and drivers finishing early at other depots won’t be major stumbling blocks.
The document also says the DDCL will pay out a lump sum under a Whitley Council agreement and will offer severance packages for drivers who want to leave.
It also suggests drivers drop employment tribunal cases and agrees to a 42 hour working week – as long as there’s better productivity.
However, a letter from UNITE says that proposal document was withdrawn even though unions were ready to agree to it.
But the document shows just how close both sides came to settling the long-running row over ?300,000 of government cuts.
