Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The Arriva summer bus schedule will come into force on Sunday with the blessing of bus drivers who had objected to their rosters.

The schedule was meant to start on June 1 but was postponed after the General Workers’ Union, which represents drivers, gave notice of an industrial dispute unless the company withdrew the roster.

The union had complained that it was not even consulted when Arriva drew up the “inhumane” working hours.

Bus drivers who spoke to Times of Malta complained the new roster meant they had to work 13 or 14-hour shifts with a split shift while getting paid for just eight hours.

A reconciliation meeting was called on May 30. The two sides met for almost three hours under the chairmanship of the Director of Employment and Industrial Relations, Noel Vella, and agreed to postpone the schedule to June 30 in the hope of reaching an agreement.

Asked if the union was now satisfied, GWU section secretary Charles Agius said: “The situation could be better and we would prefer having eight-hour shifts.

“But, following several meetings with Arriva, we agreed to the summer schedule… meanwhile, negotiations will go on and there may be changes in drivers’ working hours.”

In a statement yesterday, Arriva said this was part of the twice-a-year seasonal changes aimed at enhancing the service for customers.

“They include reworked journey times and schedules on a number of routes as well as changes to the allocation of bus bays at main stations and interchanges,” it said.

Customers can pick up a copy of the new timetable from Arriva’s ticket booths in Valletta, Sliema, Buġibba and the airport or check www.arriva.com.mt/summer2013 for more updates.

Changing bays