I've removed the name of the venue. Its not appropriate to post info like that on here.

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Bugger, I was going to call round and have a listen as well!

Hypothetically, what would happen if say GNE, SNE etc... suddenly went into administration.

GNE, SNE etc won't go into administration. It would be GoAhead or Stagecoach that would go as a whole, no way would they put one of their subsidiary into administration as the PR would be a nightmare. What Rob said is right though but I could imagine the government bailing them out tbh. GNE would be right down on the pecking order though as it's nowhere near one of GoAhead's best interests, vaguely from memory it was the worst awhile back. Stagecoach being the opposite being the second strongest after Manchester I believe.

If the starting rate at GNE is currently £9.04/hr then god help them recruiting new drivers. It's an insult really to expect anyone with any self respect to do the job with all the responsibility and stress that goes with it for that pittance.

Edit: Just read the article, so they are advocating upping the new starter rate to £10/hr. Still too low, but a start I suppose, but they've only done it because they'll get no new faces through the door otherwise.

If the starting rate at GNE is currently £9.04/hr then god help them recruiting new drivers. It's an insult really to expect anyone with any self respect to do the job with all the responsibility and stress that goes with it for that pittance.

Edit: Just read the article, so they are advocating upping the new starter rate to £10/hr. Still too low, but a start I suppose, but they've only done it because they'll get no new faces through the door otherwise.

I understand that Arriva (Northumbria) Minibuses start at £9.30 too, so not much difference between them.

I understand that Arriva (Northumbria) Minibuses start at £9.30 too, so not much difference between them.

Unless they're classing the ex minibus routes as still minibuses then there can't be many drivers left surely? There's only the 46, 51/51A, 55, 57/57A, 58 and the Nexus routes which are Solo operated nowadays if I'm right and that's when they're actually on.

I understand that Arriva (Northumbria) Minibuses start at £9.30 too, so not much difference between them.

Yes and I imagine that will be going up to circa £10 in the new year, although as has been said relatively few minibuses left in Arriva now anyway.

GNE are hosting a recruitment event on Sunday with an advertised starting salary of £21,000, but interestingly that there's potential of up to £35,000 a year.

I wonder what a representative example would be to earn 35k? As based on a few posts up, the 21k would be a 45 hour week at £9.03 per hour or about 40.5 hours a week at £10 per hour.

Do any other operators host these days out of interest, as I know its something GNE have done for years now.

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GNE are hosting a recruitment event on Sunday with an advertised starting salary of £21,000, but interestingly that there's potential of up to £35,000 a year.

I wonder what a representative example would be to earn 35k? As based on a few posts up, the 21k would be a 45 hour week at £9.03 per hour or about 40.5 hours a week at £10 per hour.

Do any other operators host these days out of interest, as I know its something GNE have done for years now.

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39 hour contract (base hours guaranteed for full time but you do more than this) 
39 x 10 == £390 x 52 = £20,280 would be the base salary. 
I seem to recall Arriva having Arriva having a recruitment open day about 3 years ago I think it was. GNE seemed to have these fairly often pre covid in various parts of the North East

£35k a year? Aye, if you work 70 hours a week!

39 hour contract (base hours guaranteed for full time but you do more than this) 
39 x 10 == £390 x 52 = £20,280 would be the base salary. 
I seem to recall Arriva having Arriva having a recruitment open day about 3 years ago I think it was. GNE seemed to have these fairly often pre covid in various parts of the North East

Thanks, I thought it would be something like that... so the 21k advertised being based on average hours, rather than a set amount per week.

£35k a year? Aye, if you work 70 hours a week!

I have to admit, even at £10 an hour, I could get close to the calculation of 35k at an average of 67.5 hours per week over the year. That's not taking into account any overtime rates, extra for certain days or whatever, but I think those hours are probably still legal within the GB driving rules and rest time.

It's a bit of an odd sell though. Encouraging people to work themselves into the ground for a 35k salary.

Thanks, I thought it would be something like that... so the 21k advertised being based on average hours, rather than a set amount per week.

Pretty standard practice in service industry these days, even Greggs do it, quoting the possible profit share as part of your salary. 

looks great on paper but not that great in reality…a bit like X Lines 

I have to admit, even at £10 an hour, I could get close to the calculation of 35k at an average of 67.5 hours per week over the year. That's not taking into account any overtime rates, extra for certain days or whatever, but I think those hours are probably still legal within the GB driving rules and rest time.

It's a bit of an odd sell though. Encouraging people to work themselves into the ground for a 35k salary.

This thread has certainly opened my eyes like. I'm on the top rate at Arriva which equates to just under 25k a year and I thought I was hard done by!

This thread has certainly opened my eyes like. I'm on the top rate at Arriva which equates to just under 25k a year and I thought I was hard done by!

£25k a year is probably the median North East wage, pretty decent for entry level work tbh. Higher wage than a probation officer starting salary!

£25k a year is probably the median North East wage, pretty decent for entry level work tbh. Higher wage than a probation officer starting salary!

I'm sorry like but bus driving is hardly "entry level" work is it? Cleaning, manual labour or stacking shelves in shops are examples of that. I'd say bus driving is semi-skilled.

I'm sorry like but bus driving is hardly "entry level" work is it? Cleaning, manual labour or stacking shelves in shops are examples of that. I'd say bus driving is semi-skilled.

By definition of entry-level work. it probably is, because it requires minimal professional work experience to join, and there's potential to use the experience to move into management or other operational roles within the industry. That's not knocking the skill (and patience!) required to do the job, but it's something that can be trained to new starters as part of the process of getting them qualified as a bus driver. You're generally not recruiting people based on having 10 years of industry experience. 

IMO it's no different to graduates joining the NHS as project assistants or whatever, and then working their way up the grading structure, gaining their experience along the way.

By definition of entry-level work. it probably is, because it requires minimal professional work experience to join, and there's potential to use the experience to move into management or other operational roles within the industry. That's not knocking the skill (and patience!) required to do the job, but it's something that can be trained to new starters as part of the process of getting them qualified as a bus driver. You're generally not recruiting people based on having 10 years of industry experience. 

IMO it's no different to graduates joining the NHS as project assistants or whatever, and then working their way up the grading structure, gaining their experience along the way.

So how many other entry level jobs require you to undertake training to pass a test that costs around £2000 and has to be repayed to the employer if you leave the job within the first two years?

I'm not surprised at non bus drivers like Ambassador putting down the job we do, but disappointed at someone like yourself who has actually done it (I assume).

So how many other entry level jobs require you to undertake training to pass a test that costs around £2000 and has to be repayed to the employer if you leave the job within the first two years?

I'm not surprised at non bus drivers like Ambassador putting down the job we do, but disappointed at someone like yourself who has actually done it (I assume).

I'm not putting down the job, which is why I made that clear in the post, but please look up the definition! Entry-level isn't the same as unskilled/manual.

Every job is as important as the next in my opinion, which is why I'd never put a job down. If those stacking shelves in supermarkets, as you referred to above, didn't exist, then no one would be able to go to a shop and buy any food. Much the same as someone who refills coffee machines, which we all tend to make use of in a workplace.

As a reference to your point about training costs. There are plenty of graduate jobs right across the UK that are entry-level, yet the cost of achieving a degree is up to £28,000 (over 3 years) in University fees alone. Whilst I've personally never worked in the transport industry, I've taken qualifications and training at the employer's expense on a similar basis, where I'd be liable to pay back a percentage of the cost if I left (of my own will) within 18 months of being qualified. I think that's pretty standard with externally assessed training/qualifications, otherwise people would use certain employers as a stepping-stone to pay their fees.

I'm sorry like but bus driving is hardly "entry level" work is it? Cleaning, manual labour or stacking shelves in shops are examples of that. I'd say bus driving is semi-skilled.

Adrian has explained better but it literally is, hence the severe shortage of people willing to do it or current roles growing and progressing into new roles (HGV jobs for example). Greggs pay more than Go North East, most fast food places do. Which probably explains the attrition rate in driving at the moment.

It’s not a intended as a knock but £25k (for the North East) is a pretty decent wage when the average primary school teacher in the region is on £25.5k (dread to think the level of debt they rack up to get that versus a relatively cheap £2k training cost)

Fair enough regarding the fact graduates have to pay back student loans, but only if they earn over a certain amount and the ceiling on their earnings is far higher than a bus drivers.

Any news on what happened then? They're advertising a starting rate of £21k a year now which equates to £10/hr so I assume it's been resolved?

Apparently GNE drivers aren't going on strike, but are refusing to work over time/extra shifts.

Apparently GNE drivers aren't going on strike, but are refusing to work over time/extra shifts.

Wrong.

Wrong.

You can do better than that!!!

Wrong.

I mean I hope that is what GNE is hoping for instead of a proper strike.

It's such a shame that the UK no longer has a freedom of movement agreement with the EU.

In Poland, the pay and conditions of Srriva North East have improved to the point where drivers are receiving approximately a week's wage for a just a few hours work. Some drivers relish the chance to spend more time with their family, friends, and loved ones, however there are stories of some drivers who are restless because they now have too much time on their hands. Some of more restless drivers would love to come and work in the UK, breaking strike action for a fraction of what they are paid in Poland. It's just a pity they are no longer legally entitled to do so.

It's such a shame that the UK no longer has a freedom of movement agreement with the EU.

In Poland, the pay and conditions of Srriva North East have improved to the point where drivers are receiving approximately a week's wage for a just a few hours work. Some drivers relish the chance to spend more time with their family, friends, and loved ones, however there are stories of some drivers who are restless because they now have too much time on their hands. Some of more restless drivers would love to come and work in the UK, breaking strike action for a fraction of what they are paid in Poland. It's just a pity they are no longer legally entitled to do so.

I saw someone saying they can no longer get cheap labour from Poland which is really false as they were gettign the same wage as everyone else.

I might become a bus driver in Poland if you get paid a weeks wage for just a few hours work.

It even beats the £19ph that GCT were offering on Facebook a few weeks ago.

I saw someone saying they can no longer get cheap labour from Poland which is really false as they were gettign the same wage as everyone else.

Labour is cheap enough in this country without the need to go elsewhere.

I might become a bus driver in Poland if you get paid a weeks wage for just a few hours work.

It even beats the £19ph that GCT were offering on Facebook a few weeks ago.

Not many foreigners make it at Srriva. While the pay and conditions might be second to none, there is a huge culture difference between here and there. I think two people from here have tried in the past. One of them (Davey, I think his name was) was told never again to dress in green and grey (the colours of his favourite bus livery), and the other one, Anthony Nightie, was escorted off the premises for some sort of cultural faux-pas.

You're a brave man if you attempt to do this.

I wonder if GNE drivers would ever do anything like this, but in Japan the drivers were striking and they drove all their routes but just let all passengers on for free and not accept any money wouldn't this be a better thing to do than strike and possible create services to every 30-60 mins.