Arriva has condemned a General Workers’ Union (GWU) directive that may result in disruptions to its services, ultimately hitting commuters.

The company said in a statement that late this afternoon some drivers were told by the union not to drive buses if the air conditioning unit was not working satisfactorily.

Arriva managing director Mark Bowd sought to contact GWU section secretary Charles Agius, who refused to meet and discuss the situation, the company said.

It said that all its service buses were fitted with air conditioning units. However, these are weakened by external factors and, like all machinery, susceptible to occasional mechanical malfunctions.

It said that its engineering department and other staff members were doing their utmost to ensure that, following this directive, the disruptions suffered by customers were minimal.

“Arriva has already made a significant investment to ensure that the air conditioning systems are fully functional and will continue to do so. Meanwhile, the bus company apologises for any disruptions commuters may face due to this situation. “

Arriva said that the directive issued not only harmed commuters but was not in line with the country’s labour legislation, in that Arriva was not give the required notice about the directive and had no time to lay down contingency plans.

The company urged customers to plan their journeys with enough time to spare and to use all available tools, such as its journey planner, which could be found online.