(29 Oct 2023, 7:25 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claiming-the...very-grant
Here's some light reading. I hate Government grants/tenders etc and I'm too tired/hungover to do the maths, but the 200k they were originally carrying needs to grow regardless of any wage increase.
As a business, it's clear from the outside they're not achieving the growth and I genuinely don't know what the mindset is when we keep seeing the push for profit via cuts and cost savings vs profit via growth and expansion.
(29 Oct 2023, 7:39 pm)Adrian wrote I'm not suggesting it's easy, but it's the only option that won't involve downsizing/consolidation.
Wages are going to go up every year, and say this increase isn't agreed this year, I think it's pretty much guaranteed that it'll be at that level in the next 2-3 years. It's not just wages, though, suppliers are doing the same, as they have their own cost demands.
So if they're not going to try and look for a positive solution to 2023's position, what are they going to do come year 3 or 4?
Regarding the £2 fare, I'm not sure how the reimbursement formula works, but I understand that operators can opt not to participate in it and retain control over their fares.
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I'll reply in one since I think my response will be similar.
I absolutely agree with both of you that the business needs to grow, not just for this pay increase but to ensure the long term sustainability of the business. Cutting services can only go on for so long before there's nothing left to cut and the network isn't really a network anymore.
As the business stands currently, however, I just don't see any potential for the growth required. There doesn't look to be the support there from GAG that would be required, in particular the lack of investment in new vehicles is approaching Arriva levels of sod all. Then there are the current routes, maybe there was the potential for growing those with frequency increases, but will that still be the case after the industrial action?