North East Buses

Tbh bus drivers need to get much much higher pay like 20/22 pound a hour at starting rate because the lives that they have to keep safe and just the general job is hard.

(06 Nov 2022, 9:11 pm)Lollist wrote [ -> ]Tbh bus drivers need to get much much higher pay like 20/22 pound a hour at starting rate because the lives that they have to keep safe and just the general job is hard.

How do you expect bus companies to make any profit, or even survive.

(06 Nov 2022, 6:14 pm)Chris 1 wrote [ -> ]I’m sure nurses got a minimum of £1,400 depending on their band, rather than 3%. They were never going to get the 15% or whatever it was they were  asking.

Good luck to the drivers. Manchester; Merseyside and Yorkshire all spring to mind as having decent, in my opinion, settlements recently, for one of the supposed more profitable parts of the Stagecoach bus empire I don’t think asking for  £13-£14  an hour is too outlandish.

I doubt that the Stagecoach operation in Sunderland is particularly profitable!!!!!
Whilst Busways Travel Services Ltd accounts always showed a very healthy profit, I suspect that routes like the 39/40 in Newcastle generated much of the profit.

(06 Nov 2022, 9:42 pm)busmanT wrote [ -> ]I doubt that the Stagecoach operation in Sunderland is particularly profitable!!!!!
Whilst Busways Travel Services Ltd accounts always showed a very healthy profit, I suspect that routes like the 39/40 in Newcastle generated much of the profit.

I was referring to Busways as a whole, though I take your point that some depots perform better than others.

That said, I still don’t think £13 odd an hour or whatever it is is unreasonable.

(06 Nov 2022, 9:16 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]How do you expect bus companies to make any profit, or even survive.

Ok fair enough 18p/h top rate but companies like Stagecoach are loaded and it orobs goes into 1 guys bank account half of it

I think £14 is as much as they'd get and that's pushing it.

(06 Nov 2022, 9:42 pm)busmanT wrote [ -> ]I doubt that the Stagecoach operation in Sunderland is particularly profitable!!!!!
Whilst Busways Travel Services Ltd accounts always showed a very healthy profit, I suspect that routes like the 39/40 in Newcastle generated much of the profit.

As far as I'm aware Sunderland is quite a strong depot, they've got some strong areas especially North Sunderland which GNE has pretty much pulled out of now bar the token 35 and 56 which misses most of it and also Hendon and most the council areas to the West of Sunderland like Pallion etc.

I believe it's the reason they pulled the E's across as they made money so they could make South Shields a low cost depot (the problem depot for Busways if there's any).

It's the same as Arriva Stockton and Stagecoach Stockton which are both strong for similar reasons, Arriva Durham County has always been the stronger of the two up here and it isn't coming from the likes of the 49/49A/56/57/58 at Durham.

I think parity with other depots is a problem as well. Stagecoach Sunderland drivers would still be behind the drivers at Walkergate even if they accepted this current deal, which is ridiculous as the cost of living is identical in either area. Likewise Arriva drivers in the North East are way behind (almost £2.50/hr) what their compatriots in Liverpool earn, again despite no difference in the cost of living stakes.

(07 Nov 2022, 12:14 am)Driver9*** wrote [ -> ]I think parity with other depots is a problem as well. Stagecoach Sunderland drivers would still be behind the drivers at Walkergate even if they accepted this current deal, which is ridiculous as the cost of living is identical in either area. Likewise Arriva drivers in the North East are way behind (almost £2.50/hr) what their compatriots in Liverpool earn, again despite no difference in the cost of living stakes.

According to the literature plastered around the depot, after 6 months we'd be 11p/hr behind Newcastle, and also we'd be behind Shields. This is fine though because in 2017, Sunderland accepted extra holiday allowance over a pay rise. Go figure.

However, I believe currently the pay gap between Sunderland and Newcastle is much larger.

Drivers don't get paid when they're on strike do they?

I wonder at what point they would have been better off financially taking the lower offer than losing money striking.

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(07 Nov 2022, 8:19 am)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]Drivers don't get paid when they're on strike do they?

I wonder at what point they would have been better off financially taking the lower offer than losing money striking.

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Not by the company, unless you're on the sick and went on the sick before the strike.

(07 Nov 2022, 8:19 am)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]Drivers don't get paid when they're on strike do they?

I wonder at what point they would have been better off financially taking the lower offer than losing money striking.

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Unite drivers were getting £70 per day from the union in strikes elsewhere recently, not sure what GMB members get.

(07 Nov 2022, 12:40 pm)Chris 1 wrote [ -> ]Unite drivers were getting £70 per day from the union in strikes elsewhere recently, not sure what GMB members get.

How does that work in terms of tax?

(07 Nov 2022, 4:32 pm)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]How does that work in terms of tax?

If it's anything like the payment from GMB we got after the 5 days, it's not taxable - we just got a cheque so presumably it's classed as a gift.

(07 Nov 2022, 4:38 pm)F114TML wrote [ -> ]If it's anything like the payment from GMB we got after the 5 days, it's not taxable - we just got a cheque so presumably it's classed as a gift.

Yeah, I think it's non-taxable as it's not income.

So the strike action next week looks to be cancelled, this is due to an offer going to ballot that week - the union are not making a recommendation on it. A rejection would result in further strikes starting the 22nd.

(06 Nov 2022, 9:11 pm)Lollist wrote [ -> ]Tbh bus drivers need to get much much higher pay like 20/22 pound a hour at starting rate because the lives that they have to keep safe and just the general job is hard.

Husband would forget that he hates driving for that money.

(11 Nov 2022, 11:26 pm)BusLoverMum wrote [ -> ]Husband would forget that he hates driving for that money.

As a PSV license holder, £20-22 per hour would probably be enough to tempt me back into the industry. 

£12.83 doesn't really float my boat though

Apparently the new pay deal has been rejected.

Approx. 70% against vs 30% for. Quite a few non votes. Strikes to continue therefore and we're probably in for a long haul as the company stated it was a "full and final" offer.

CORRECTION - it's actually closer to 80/20. Someone must've done their maths wrong.

SUNDERLAND BUS STRIKE SET TO CONTINUE AFTER DRIVERS REJECT REAL TERMS PAY CUT

Workers in Stagecoach depots across the country receive double digit pay rises – Sunderland's drivers want and deserve the same, says GMB Union

Sunderland’s bus strikes are set to continue after drivers turned down a below inflation pay deal.

Two thirds of GMB members working for Stagecoach Sunderland rejected the deal, which amounted to a real terms pay cut.

The offer was less than the 10 per cent mandate set by drivers.

Stagecoach workers across the UK have enjoyed double digit pay rises in recent weeks.

Stagecoach's regional bus services made an operating profit of £58 million in the financial year 2021/22 - more than double the year before. [1]

Almost 200 Sunderland bus drivers have taken several days of strike action already in anger over ‘poverty pay’.

Stuart Gilhespy, GMB Organiser, said:

"GMB held a democratic vote in which the majority of bus drivers voted to reject the offer from Stagecoach.

“It was an offer which Stagecoach knew in advance didn’t meet the mandate set by our members, yet they failed to listen to its own employees needs and instead choose to focus on their own profits.

"Sunderland Stagecoach drivers are in desperate need of a pay rise with the cost of living crisis.

“They’ve shown bravery in declining the offer in order to hold out for what they believe they’re worth.

"Sunderland’s drivers have seen workers in Stagecoach depots across the country receive double digit pay rises - they want and deserve the same.

"These workers are standing up to bullying tactics from Stagecoach and striving to achieving a result that is good for them, their families and the local economy.

"The people of Sunderland deserve more than these multinational companies are paying them and need to stand with their local bus drivers as more than ever they need their help."


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More strikes 23/24/26/27th December.

I thought they were announced ages ago. Anyway, I'd expect strikes to continue well into next year as the company has taken the view that talks have collapsed and no one really knows what's happening.

On the Stagecoach website they've put up the Christmas and New Year services in Sunderland but have made no mention of the fact that there will be strikes on 23rd, 24th, 26th and 27th.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/su...d=msedgntp&cvid=60bd632fd6554090b4b2e61faed056b8

sounds like thats done with now

Yep. Had that deal not passed we'd have gone on indefinite strike. I was surprised by the margin tbh. Fair few drivers unhappy even so because it's a lower rise than what had been rejected.

(05 Jan 2023, 10:36 am)F114TML wrote [ -> ]Yep. Had that deal not passed we'd have gone on indefinite strike. I was surprised by the margin tbh. Fair few drivers unhappy even so because it's a lower rise than what had been rejected.

That's what I was thinking. What will 11% increase the hourly wage to now?

Also will we see an 11% increase in other depots across the North East or just Wheatshef?

I don't think Newcastle and Shields will get it as it's an instant, single increase of 11%.

May be wrong but I think it brings the top rate up to £13.57 and the starter rate to £11.75

(05 Jan 2023, 10:50 am)F114TML wrote [ -> ]I don't think Newcastle and Shields will get it as it's an instant, single increase of 11%.

May be wrong but I think it brings the top rate up to £13.57 and the starter rate to £11.75

I think Newcastle will end up on near enough the £13.57 at the end of their deal though?