New bus routes planned to come into force tomorrow have been postponed as talks between Malta Public Transport and the General Workers' Union continue, the company said this afternoon.

It said that new drivers' duties and rosters were also being postponed as discussions with the union were still underway.

The company said although no service disruptions were anticipated, the new duties would not come into force and services would continue with the current routes and schedules until further notice.

Times of Malta reported this morning that the prospect of a bus strike was no longer looming.

Commenting at the end of another round of conciliation talks with Malta Public Transport, the General Workers’ Union designate general secretary Josef Bugeja told the newspaper yesterday afternoon a solution was “very close”.

Though he declined to give further details he said more talks were taking place, in the hope to finalise the deal.

The union had threatened to take industrial action if the operator would forge ahead with the implementation of the “unrealistic” work rosters.

The operator accused the union of backtracking over a preliminary agreement which, it said, had been reached after four months of talks. On its part, the GWU had argued that the new rosters did not reflect the agreed parameters and would result in “unrealistic” schedules for its members.

In a statement this afternoon, shadow minister Marthese Portelli said not only had the bus reform not improved the service and was leaving a negative impact on passengers, workers were also ending up victims of Transport Minister Joe Mizzi's incompetence.

Read more in the Times of Malta.

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