Brighton & Hove Bus Drivers To Strike

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

Are bus drivers still treated like serfs during their first two years in the job ?

Little blue blokes with white hats?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Those profits are being eroded year on year by reductions from central government to local authorities to fund concessionary travel and cuts to the Bus Service Operator Grant which allows a percentage rebate on fuel duty.

My heart bleeds for them. There aren't many businesses that get a large chunk of their infrastructure paid for by the taxpayer. I guess at least their multi-million pound profits will get a boost now the fuel price has dropped.

 

[Jim D]

As Neil Kinnock's dad once said ... Anyone can support the union when they are right. You also need to support the union when they are wrong.

Was his dad Arthur Scargill?

 

[Brovion]

Isn't most of that use by pensioners with free bus passes and kids with free bus passes? I find them too expensive to use!

As do I for in-town travel (although I sometimes do use the short hop up from the Open Market back to Fiveways). But I can't believe all the increase is down to kids and pensioners, surely the council must have had some success in persuading people to use buses instead of cars? (To say nothing of the increase in population).

 

[MattBackHome]

At £4.10 for a day saver (using M-tickets - cash on bus is £4.70) I assume that the senior management of Brighton and Hove Buses are quaffing swans blood from crystal goblets in the staffroom.

 

[wellquickwoody]

A strike in the private sector, how novel!

 

[Garage_Doors]

And taxis.

And motorcycles.

 

[pb21]

And motorcycles.

And very often cyclists

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

i get the train to work as it's cheaper than the bus- madness!

 

[Garage_Doors]

And very often cyclists

pppfffffff

 

[The Large One]

As do I for in-town travel (although I sometimes do use the short hop up from the Open Market back to Fiveways). But I can't believe all the increase is down to kids and pensioners, surely the council must have had some success in persuading people to use buses instead of cars? (To say nothing of the increase in population).

Brighton & Hove Buses makes around £6m profit per year.

Edit: In 2013, they made a £7.1m profit on a turnover of £59.3m.

It would be nice for the company to not keep increasing prices - fleecing their customers as they do, especially if fuel prices are stagnant or falling, and salary inflation is low.

 

[Skylar]

Bus drivers get £11.50 an hour, greedy *******s. All they do is sit on their arses all day.

 

[Brovion]

Brighton & Hove Buses makes around £6m profit per year.

Edit: In 2013, they made a £7.1m profit on a turnover of £59.3m.

It would be nice for the company to not keep increasing prices - fleecing their customers as they do, especially if fuel prices are stagnant or falling, and salary inflation is low.

Indeed. I also moan about privatised rail fares - but at least they're regulated. The licensed bandits who run the buses can charge what they like

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Bus drivers get £11.50 an hour, greedy *******s. All they do is sit on their arses all day.

There you go Skylar,let us know how you get on. http://www.buses.co.uk/information/jobs.aspx

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Bus drivers get £11.50 an hour, greedy *******s. All they do is sit on their arses all day.

Because less than 24k a year is so so greedy !

 

[sten]

Bus drivers get £11.50 an hour, greedy *******s. All they do is sit on their arses all day.

No they don't my brother is on the buses at Brighton& Hove, this strike is about a lot more than pay

 

[vegster]

The bus company is seeking to find ways to avoid the UNITE trade union going ahead with industrial action on these two dates in respect of a pay offer. The company employs over 1,400 people, the vast majority of whom do not want this industrial action to go ahead. The strike vote was carried among the UNITE members involved when 363 voted in favour of industrial action.

The pay offer is for a 2.3% increase plus an improved Sunday and Bank Holiday premium rate, taking the value of the offer to almost 2.5%, coupled with a minimum of a further 2.5% from June 2015. This offer will, in little over 7 months, be worth 5% or more.

Sounds a fantastic deal to me, speaking as someone who has not had a pay rise for 4 years and is now earning less than I was in 2006.
Only idiots, fools or left wing agitators would vote not to accept this great offer. Oh, unless there are the usual " re-structuring " enforced changes in working practices and changes to the pension scheme tied in to the deal which the company are not publicising.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

No they don't my brother is on the buses at Brighton& Hove, this strike is about a lot more than pay

I think the £11.50 an hour quote is worked out from doing the best paid duty on the rota and working overtime on your off day which coincides with a bank holiday

 

[Magicman]

A punter in the cab told me today that one of the reasons for action is down to the "new broom" who came in recently to replace Roger French is insisting that the 30 minute break the drivers get after 5 hours work is likely to be shorter if they arrive at the depot late due to the traffic / roadworks problems.
If the strike goes ahead then i hope to benefit from the extra punters wanting a cab.
Every cloud and all that !!

 

[ofco8]

First the council squeeze motorists off the road onto buses. Then the buses are withdrawn. Great system!!!

Is that all we can look forward to in the future?