A BUS driver strike is set to go into a fourth week, it has emerged tonight.

First Dorset says it has been notified by the Unite union representing bus drivers in Weymouth and Bridport that it intends to call its members out for another three days of action.

The action is related to a long running pay dispute.

Drivers say it is unfair that they earn less than their counterparts in other branches of First Group and feel like “poor relations”. Drivers in Weymouth earn £8.80 an hour in comparison to the £9.50 earned by drivers in equivalent roles in Yeovil.

Strikes are currently planned for the following dates: Sunday, July 3, Monday 4 July, Wednesday 6 July, Friday 8 July and Sunday 10 July. The latest additions to the strike days are Wednesday July 13, Friday July, 15 and Sunday, July 17.

First Dorset has been able to run more than 90% of its normal bus services on strike days, using staff and managers brought in from other areas.

Bu tit says the longer the industrial action goes on for, the more harm it will do to both First Dorset’s business and the wider local economy.

It is calling once again for the union to join the company for formal arbitration at ACAS as a means of resolving the matter.  

Marc Reddy, Managing Director of First Dorset, says: “We want to give our drivers a pay rise, and we’re happy to back date it to their pay award anniversary (August 2015) but the drivers have to recognise that any pay increase has to be affordable. The Dorset business simply cannot sustain the inflation busting pay demands the union is asking for.  

“We have made a number of fair and reasonable offers, which come on the back of pay increases made in December 2013 and August 2014.

“We know the drivers want to earn the same as colleagues in different parts of the country, but put simply it doesn’t work like that. Pay awards have always been agreed locally, reflecting the unique operating conditions that our local businesses work within."

For the forthcoming strike days, First hopes to run a comparable level of service to previous dates of industrial action.  Specifically,

Monday – Saturday (strike days)
·        Service 1 (Weymouth to Portland):  Operating around every 10 minutes from 07.00 until 19.00.
·        Service 2 (Weymouth to Park & Ride and Littlemoor):  Operating every 10 minutes from 07.00 until 19.00.
·        Service 3 (Weymouth to Westham): Operating every 30 minutes from 07.00 to 19.00.
·        Service 4/4A (Weymouth to Preston and Sutton Poyntz): Operating normally from 07.00 until 17.00.
·        Service 8 (Weymouth to Chickerell):  Operating every 30 minutes from 07.00 to 19.00.
·        Service 10 (Weymouth to Dorchester and Poundbury): Operating around every 10 minutes from 07.00 to 19.00.
·        Service 88 (Preston to Budmouth School): Operating normally.
·        Service X51 (Dorchester to Bridport and Axminster): Operating hourly between 07.00 and 19.00.
·        Service X53 (Weymouth to Bridport and Axminster):  A limited service will operate between Weymouth and Bridport only, on an hourly basis between 07.00 and 19.00.
·        Service X54 (Weymouth, Wareham and Poole):  Only school journeys from Wareham to Lytchett Minster School will operate, nothing else.
·        Service X55: (Weymouth – Lulworth – Bovington):  Operating normally
·        Service 503 (Weymouth to Waterside Holiday Park):  Buses will operate every 30 minutes.
·        Service 743 (Wool – Purbeck School): Operating normally
·        Service 744 (Wool – Purbeck School): Operating normally

Buses that won’t run:
·        Service 6 (Weymouth to Lanehouse and Sailing Academy): Customers are advised to use Service 1, 3 and 8 instead.
·        Service 14 (Portland to Weymouth and Thomas Hardye School): Students advised to use Services 1 and 10 instead.
·        Route 91 (Wyke Regis to Wey Valley School): Students should use local services instead.
·        Service X52 (Bridport/Lyme Regis to Exeter):  Customers wanting to travel to Exeter can catch a X51 service to Axminster Railway Station and take a train from there.
·        Service X54 (Weymouth, Wareham and Poole):  No service apart from school journeys from Wareham to Lytchett Minster School which will still operate. Customers are advised to use South West Trains for journeys between Weymouth and Poole
·        Service 501 (Open top bus service between Weymouth to Portland Bill):  Customers wanting to go between Weymouth and Portland are advised to take Service 1 service instead.
·        Service 502 (Lodmoor to Weymouth and Littlesea): Customers are advised to walk to Chickerell Road to catch a Service 8 bus instead.

Sundays (strike days)


·        Service 1 (Weymouth to Portland):  Operating approximately every 15 minutes from 07.30; the last bus will leave Portland Ripcroft at 19.22 arriving at Weymouth Kings Statue at 20.00.
·        Service 2 (Weymouth to Littlemoor): operating approximately every 15 minutes from 8.30am; the last bus will leave Weymouth Kings Statue at 18.55 arriving in Littlemoor at 19.11.
·        Service 3 (Weymouth to Westham): operating every 30 minutes between 08.56 and 18.10.
·        Service 4 (Weymouth to Preston): operating every half an hour between 08.40 and 19.03.
·        Service 8 (Weymouth to Chickerell): operating approximately every 30 minutes between 08.17 and 18.44.
·        Service 10 (Weymouth to Dorchester): operating every 30 minutes between 07.55; the last bus will leave Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester at 18.40.
·        Service X51 (Dorchester – Bridport – Axminster): operating from Bridport starting 8.24 and Dorchester at 09.15, the last service will leave Axminster at 18.00 arriving at Dorchester at 19.40.
·        Service X53 (Weymouth – Bridport): operating approximately every 60 minutes from 08.39, the last service arriving at Weymouth at 19.23.
·        Service X55 (Littlesea – Weymouth- Lulworth – Wool – Bovington Tank Museum): operating from Littlesea at 09.00 and 12.00, the last bus from the Tank Museum will leave at 16.50.
·        Service 501 (open top service between Weymouth and Portland Bill): operating every two hours, the last bus will leave Portland Bill at 18.35.
·        Service 502 (Weymouth – Littlesea Haven Holiday Centre): operating every hour from 08.21, the last bus will leave Littlesea at 18.50.
·        Service 503 (Weymouth – Waterside Holiday Park): operating every 30 minutes from 09.00, the last bus arriving at Weymouth at 18.56.

Buses that won’t run on Sundays
·        Service X52 (Bridport/Lyme Regis to Exeter):  Customers wanting to travel to Exeter can catch a X51 service to Axminster Railway Station and take a train from there.
·        Service X54 (Weymouth, Wareham and Poole):  Customers are advised to use South West Trains for journeys between Weymouth and Poole


Between strike days, bus services will operate as normal. All timetables (including those for strike dates) can be found on the First Dorset website, www.firstgroup.com/dorset.

Customers wanting more information about the services running during the industrial action can contact First Bus’ Customer Services Team, email ContactDorset@firstgroup.com or telephone 0345 6020121.

Regular updates will also be available on First Dorset’s social media channels, facebook.com/firstindorset and twitter.com/firstdorset