BUS bosses believe Thursday's strike will not be as bad as first feared after drivers were drafted in to help out.

Staff at Oxford Bus Company will walk out in a row over holiday and lieu days over Christmas and new year.

But the company's managing editor Phil Southall said: "We have drummed up significant numbers of drivers from other companies to try and minimise disruption.

Follow the latest on the strike in our live blog.

"We do not think all of Unite's members here will take strike action, a number have told us they will come in to work.

"I do not think it will be as disruptive as first thought."

The company will distribute 25,000 leaflets across the city tomorrow and over the weekend ahead of further strike action planned for Monday.

They will inform passengers about what services will run, with the company's website to be updated regularly.

Thirteen routes across the city will have no – or very limited – service, as well as the X90 to London and the Airline to Birmingham Airport.

It follows a strike ballot by trade union Unite that finished last week.

It comes after Mr Southall was branded as Scrooge by Unite when workers were told they would not get extra pay for working two Yuletide bank holidays.

He said: "If I am Scrooge the Unite is the Artful Dodger, pickpocketing the company for things its members are not entitled to and trying to mislead members of the public."

Today the union accused the company of 'salami slicing' workers' pay.

Unite regional officer Marie Hall said: "We appreciate the disruption that this strike will cause, but the blame lies with Phil Southall, who behind the warm words, has a plan to salami slice our members’ pay and employment conditions."

Yesterday Bus Users Oxford spokesman Hugh Jaeger warned of major inconvenience.

He said: “Wherever Stagecoach services are operating people will have to squeeze onto their buses.

“But the biggest impact will be on routes where there is no Stagecoach service in parallel. Bus Users Oxford hopes there will be a reconciliation between staff and management.”

More than 430 workers of the 590-strong workforce, were balloted by Unite from January 30 until February 20 after the ‘complete breakdown of industrial relations’.

One former driver, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Oxford Mail morale had been destroyed among staff due to issues with disciplinary procedures and working conditions.

The man, who worked for the company for several years, said: “If it were not for the drivers there would not be a bus service.

“We all want to be happy in our work.

“If passengers knew exactly what is going on they I think they would be supportive of the strike action.

“If they knew the full story about how drivers were being treated they would understand.”

The union claimed drivers could lose up to £100 a shift after the company said it would not pay more for shifts on December 27 and January 2.

After strike action was announced yesterday Mr Southall told the Oxford Mail the company had made four separate offers to Unite which had all been rejected by the union on behalf of its members.

The first would have seen staff given a £95 flat payment for working those days, while the second would have seen anybody who worked them given bank holiday pay and a lieu day.

The third offer was for was for December 27 - but not January 2 - to be recognised as a bank holiday, which Mr Southall said would have effectively given staff four bank holidays over the Christmas period.

The final offer was for December 26, 27 and January 2 to be recognised as bank holidays instead of Decembe 25, 26 and New Year's Day.

 “We’re sorry and concerned to hear that Unite, the union representing around 70 per cent of our people, is intending to take strike action.

“We understand this is in relation to Christmas and new year working arrangements from last year.

“This is disappointing as we’ve made a number of offers to Unite to settle the dispute but these have been rejected without consulting their members.

"Our offers would have put more money in the pockets of Unite members.

“We’re disappointed that Unite has chosen not to follow the agreed dispute resolution procedure before triggering the ballot.

“We’re very keen to resolve the dispute, and our door is open for talks, but in the meantime we’re putting plans in place to make sure we can offer customers the best service possible if strikes go ahead.”

OBC added that special contingency timetables would be available on its website and in print form.

The strike action comes after Go-Ahead group, which owns OBC, said a fall in passenger numbers across its bus business was partly doen to the Westgate Centre redevelopment.

Mr Southall said: “The closure of Queen Street [from June to November 2016] led to additional buses having to be put on the road to maintain reliability.

“In addition, increased walking distances to alternative stops made bus services less attractive, particularly for those with limited mobility.

“This has led to a decline in passenger numbers of up to 13 per cent on some services.”

In April 2015 a planned OBC strike was called off days before after the company reached an agreement with union members over pay.

It followed previous ballots in 2009 and 2010 which did not result in strike action.

Littlemore Parish Council transport representative Dorian Hancock said: “This strike will impact on people going to work, going to hospital, going to visit others.

“Anybody who uses Oxford Bus Company for the whole or part of their journey to go to the hospital will be impacted.”