COMMUTERS could face more travel misery after Oxford Bus Company revealed the union has announced two further days of industrial action for this month. 

It comes after the firm’s managing director Phil Southall wrote yesterday to Marie Hall, regional director of Unite, urging the union to enter fresh talks over solving the dispute that began with a row over Yuletide bank holiday pay.

But despite the letter, seen by the Oxford Mail, Mr Southall says the union has responded by planning more strikes on March 17 and 24.

OBC signalled it wants Unite to enter talks with conciliation organisation ACAS, but Mr Southall said his and the company’s efforts to end the dispute have been in vain.

Another walkout was already planned for Monday, March 7.

Unite have not formally confirmed the strikes, but OBC says if the matter cannot be resolved, commuters face another two days of disruption this month.

In the letter, Mr Southall said: “We are determined to get our drivers back to work, prevent further disruption to passengers, and have the city moving again.

“Consequently we are ready to meet to resolve the dispute any time between now and Monday to find a way forward and return to a full service that the hard working people of Oxford deserve.”

Earlier, OBC said they could take legal action over Thursday's strike.

Disruption was kept to a minimum during the strike after the company brought in dozens of drivers to keep buses on the roads, with only three routes without any service.

Trade union Unite previously said it was pleased by the level of support for its strike on Thursday over bank holiday pay and that it planned to go ahead with a second on Monday.

But David Mitchell from Oxford Bus Company said the company was set to take legal action.

He said: “The company believes it [the strike] is unlawful, the reason being that the strike ballot needs to have all places of work, and they have only listed one place.

“They only used the depot, not travel shops and other locations.

“The strike has caused substantial damage to the company.

“We are calculating those costs and will take it up with Unite.”

Mr Mitchell added that an estimated 80 per cent of drivers turned up for work.

Also this week, Mr Southall said that one employee and Unite member had been suspended by the company for threatening people on Facebook in relation to going to work.

Unite say staff deserved extra pay for working two Yuletide bank holidays.

And dozens of Unite members organised a picket outside the bus depot in Watlington Road, Cowley.

Unite regional officer Marie Hall said: “All last year we were trying to sort out Christmas work. It came to the last chance saloon, people had already made arrangements for Christmas and had to work under duress.

“They [the employees] have just had enough. The company isn’t listening.

“I humbly apologise that this is happening but this has been going on and on.”

On Friday, she added that Unite remained open for ‘constructive and meaningful talks’ but that Monday’s strike was set to go ahead.

But the latest development signals a deepening of the rift between the two parties. 

On Thursday, only the X90 to London, the Park and Ride 500 and the city8 service did not run at all.

Passengers were charged a flat rate of £1 to travel.