Government 'hopeful' pay offer will halt bus strike

Bus bosses remain hopeful planned strike action by drivers "may be suspended" as negotiations continue, the Department of Infrastructure has said.

Members of the union Unite plan to start an "all-out" 10-day continuous strike from Saturday in a long-running row over pay and entitlements.

The union said the action was called after the "continued failure" of the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) to resolve the dispute.

However, the DOI said a "fourth offer" had been made on Thursday, following "conciliation talks" at the offices of the Manx Industrial Relations Service earlier this week.

The island's bus services are government-funded and run under the banner of Bus Vannin, which operates as part of the DOI.

Contingency plans to provide bus services during the planned walk out have not yet been released by the administration.

In a statement, the DOI said: "Discussions, which aim to reach a constructive resolution, continue to be facilitated by the Manx Industrial Relations Service."

"The department hopes that the planned action for this Saturday may be suspended, to enable these discussions to continue in a positive way."

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