BELEAGUERED bus passengers in Bury face more disruption with a series of further strikes planned for the coming weeks.

First Manchester bus drivers, members of the Transport and General Workers' Union, are organising further days of industrial action.

These are the latest in a long-running dispute over pay and hours.

The new days notified to First Manchester bosses are: Friday, August 18; Monday August 21; Friday, September 1; Monday September 4; Monday, September 18, Friday, September 29 and Monday, October 2. On these days, as on recent strike days, all services operated by First Manchester depots in Bury, Manchester, Wigan, Bolton and Oldham will be affected.

First Manchester operations director, Russell Gard said: "Throughout the period of recent strike action, despite our dislike of talks while being threatened, First Manchester has continued negotiations with the union.

"Every compromise proposed has been rejected and the union don't seem to realise the basic fact that negotiation is a two sided process."

He added: "All through the talks, First Manchester has offered one simple solution: to submit the issue to professional, independent binding arbitration with both sides accepting whatever the outcome.

"However, in continually refusing this solution, the union reveal a fear of exposing the weaknesses of their case to independent scrutiny."

Bus commuters were hit yesterday, Monday August 7, and last Friday by the industrial action which has caused chaos to services throughout Greater Manchester.