(22 Oct 2021, 2:59 pm)Dan wrote https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/stagecoach-bus-staff-strike-pay-21941666?fbclid=IwAR30p0jcw02H04GulQYrLKv3H2_cZeEkDdTd7v1U-MoiwRnhQCMEyzrP1-U


(with a hilarious photograph!)

(22 Oct 2021, 3:05 pm)Michael wrote Oh great, gonna be a nightmare getting to work, but I'm all for them getting better wages!

(22 Oct 2021, 3:32 pm)V514DFT wrote Just aswell i can get the 309 and 12 to college otherwise i'd be screwed

(22 Oct 2021, 4:47 pm)Ambassador wrote Across 3 Newcastle home games too.

I’m not adverse to other depots earning less if it’s based on finance. Retail pay differs depending on the grade and banding of shop you operate in. So if Newcastle brings in more cash than Stockton then I’d support paying more to Newcastle.

If that’s not the case then dodgy grounds but again short sighted from the union, they have to build up passenger confidence and short notice cancellations and strikes will turn people to cars, Ubers and other methods. The only ones who will suffer are those at the bottom rung with no other options

(22 Oct 2021, 4:52 pm)deanmachine wrote Why blame the Union? Why not blame the company for paying their drivers a decent wage? If they did maybe there wouldn't be strike action.

(22 Oct 2021, 4:56 pm)Ambassador wrote A qualified driver at 22k-25k is a decent wage for this region for a manual job. Even newly qualified at £19k relative to the North East isn’t a bad wage. Probably much higher than the majority of passengers you’re about to seriously piss off. 

the days of public opinion being behind unions are long long gone

(22 Oct 2021, 4:47 pm)Ambassador wrote Across 3 Newcastle home games too.

I’m not adverse to other depots earning less if it’s based on finance. Retail pay differs depending on the grade and banding of shop you operate in. So if Newcastle brings in more cash than Stockton then I’d support paying more to Newcastle.

If that’s not the case then dodgy grounds but again short sighted from the union, they have to build up passenger confidence and short notice cancellations and strikes will turn people to cars, Ubers and other methods. The only ones who will suffer are those at the bottom rung with no other options

(22 Oct 2021, 4:47 pm)Ambassador wrote Across 3 Newcastle home games too.

I’m not adverse to other depots earning less if it’s based on finance. Retail pay differs depending on the grade and banding of shop you operate in. So if Newcastle brings in more cash than Stockton then I’d support paying more to Newcastle.

If that’s not the case then dodgy grounds but again short sighted from the union, they have to build up passenger confidence and short notice cancellations and strikes will turn people to cars, Ubers and other methods. The only ones who will suffer are those at the bottom rung with no other options

(22 Oct 2021, 6:51 pm)Storx wrote Why would a bus driver give a toss about passenger confidence and whether someone can get somewhere.

It's disgusting one depot is being paid more/less than another depot, borderline illegal. The person does the same job as the other person it's not their fault that one depot makes more money than the other. Absolutely ridiculous view and there's some nonsense posted on here.

Then people wonder on here why bus drivers stick there fingers up when when your taking photos at the side of the road...

(22 Oct 2021, 6:59 pm)Dan wrote Bus drivers should care, because the customers that board their buses are the ones paying their wages…

If they don’t care about passenger confidence and customers being able to make journeys, then they might as well pack up and go home now.

If you’re suggesting otherwise then I’m afraid I think this post is more nonsensical than the one you’re replying to?!


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(22 Oct 2021, 4:56 pm)Ambassador wrote A qualified driver at 22k-25k is a decent wage for this region for a manual job. Even newly qualified at £19k relative to the North East isn’t a bad wage. Probably much higher than the majority of passengers you’re about to seriously piss off. 

the days of public opinion being behind unions are long long gone

(22 Oct 2021, 3:45 pm)Michael wrote If its every bus (likely to have some still running), using the 20 or 35 wouldn't even get to work for 7am - 20 will arrive just before 7 (then its a 10 min walk)

(22 Oct 2021, 5:02 pm)deanmachine wrote I don't work for Stagecoach btw, but the fact is people are leaving the job for other areas at a similar pay rate for less hassle. making the driver shortage worse, lowering the morale of everyone else there. If they're not willing to keep the driver's happy this is going to happen, I really don't understand this sort of attitude towards unions.

(22 Oct 2021, 8:05 pm)V514DFT wrote Damn,i feel sorry for you mate

---

Classic domino effect

(22 Oct 2021, 4:56 pm)Ambassador wrote A qualified driver at 22k-25k is a decent wage for this region for a manual job. Even newly qualified at £19k relative to the North East isn’t a bad wage. Probably much higher than the majority of passengers you’re about to seriously piss off. 

the days of public opinion being behind unions are long long gone

(22 Oct 2021, 2:59 pm)Dan wrote https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/stagecoach-bus-staff-strike-pay-21941666?fbclid=IwAR30p0jcw02H04GulQYrLKv3H2_cZeEkDdTd7v1U-MoiwRnhQCMEyzrP1-U


(with a hilarious photograph!)

(30 Oct 2021, 11:15 am)Michael wrote Found this on the Stagecoach site:

Despite the ongoing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Stagecoach has already agreed a pay deal with drivers in Sunderland under the GMB Union, which is in line with the deal offered and rejected elsewhere in the North East. Stagecoach has also agreed pay deals with Unite at the majority of its depots across the UK.

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/north-east/proposed-industrial-action

(25 Oct 2021, 12:18 pm)Chris 1 wrote Some of the comments on there, dear me!  Not sure which ones are worse, these ones are the ones accompanying the Northern Echo story on GNE.

(30 Oct 2021, 1:55 pm)Adrian wrote "Drivers offered a deal that would see pay being increased by 4% since the start of the pandemic"
So I wonder is that 4% over a two-year deal backdated? Or 4% for this year, when I assume nothing was offered last?

Bit cheap to point at GMB accepting the deal. It's as much their prerogative to accept one as Unite's not to accept one.

(30 Oct 2021, 1:55 pm)Adrian wrote "Drivers offered a deal that would see pay being increased by 4% since the start of the pandemic"
So I wonder is that 4% over a two-year deal backdated? Or 4% for this year, when I assume nothing was offered last?

Bit cheap to point at GMB accepting the deal. It's as much their prerogative to accept one as Unite's not to accept one.

(30 Oct 2021, 1:55 pm)Adrian wrote "Drivers offered a deal that would see pay being increased by 4% since the start of the pandemic"
So I wonder is that 4% over a two-year deal backdated? Or 4% for this year, when I assume nothing was offered last?

Bit cheap to point at GMB accepting the deal. It's as much their prerogative to accept one as Unite's not to accept one.

(30 Oct 2021, 8:11 pm)Dan wrote It does seem like Unite’s ambition is to have Arriva Northumbria, Go North East and Stagecoach all participating in industrial action at the same time. I’m in favour of trade unions fighting for better pay and conditions for their members (and in turn the wider workforce) but I’m not sure it sits right with me that industrial action is seemingly being coordinated and there’s a dispute over money that the companies simply do not have at this time.

(30 Oct 2021, 11:10 pm)Driver9*** wrote I was in the Unite union and I've recently left after 20 years in it. Complete waste of money. The main rep gets a piss easy ride in return for towing the company line. Gets paid 41 hous a week for 15 hours of actual work, paid until 4pm and leaves for home at 3pm every day.

(30 Oct 2021, 5:54 pm)DeltaMan wrote It's the usual PR rubbish from both sides. Similar to Unite not quoting the actual financials from Busways Travel Services as it won't sound as good but it more pertinent...

(31 Oct 2021, 12:04 am)Adrian wrote It's the most effective way to apply leverage with industrial action, so they'd be mad to not coordinate it. We saw with Arriva two years ago and Go North West more recently, that when its not coordinated, other operators couldn't be quicker to 'help out' with strike-breakers. If any one of the big three went out alone up here, we all know they'd be straight on the phone to the other two to lend a hand and to try and undermine the strike

(31 Oct 2021, 6:13 am)Dan wrote I think the world is in a different place now, especially with the labour shortage - operators cannot cover their own work, let alone the work of other operators.

Regardless, we've discussed elsewhere on the forum that the current driver shortage could have a huge negative impact on the great work that's been achieved by operators in trying to build back passenger numbers and increase revenue. Can't the exact same be said about industrial action?

If it has a negative impact on passenger numbers, and in turn revenue, then the desired payrise is going to be even less likely to be affordable. There seems to be little in the way of joined up thinking, purely looking at the here and now and immediate benefit rather than thinking longer term. Trade unions for many years have recommended offers of 2% and members accepted them - that was when bus operators were in a much stronger position financially. Now passenger numbers have dropped off a cliff and revenue has been severely impacted making operators loss-making businesses, they're wanting to fight for more? As I say, I'm in favour of trade unions fighting for the best they can achieve in normal circumstances, but this reeks. I know industrial action is a last resort, but there's a lot of animosity on the ground among staff at bus companies at the moment, largely driven by the pay dispute.  I have known drivers leave and move to independent operators (for less pay) purely because they're sick and tired of it all... 

(31 Oct 2021, 12:09 am)Adrian wrote If that's the case, why don't you just change the rep? Its a democracy after all.

I've been a rep for the majority of my working life and have stood election every single year. I'd be more than happy for someone else to take it on, if they fancied a go at it. At least I'd get some of the countless hours of my own time back that the role inevitably spills over into!

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(31 Oct 2021, 6:13 am)Dan wrote I think the world is in a different place now, especially with the labour shortage - operators cannot cover their own work, let alone the work of other operators.

Regardless, we've discussed elsewhere on the forum that the current driver shortage could have a huge negative impact on the great work that's been achieved by operators in trying to build back passenger numbers and increase revenue. Can't the exact same be said about industrial action?

If it has a negative impact on passenger numbers, and in turn revenue, then the desired payrise is going to be even less likely to be affordable. There seems to be little in the way of joined up thinking, purely looking at the here and now and immediate benefit rather than thinking longer term. Trade unions for many years have recommended offers of 2% and members accepted them - that was when bus operators were in a much stronger position financially. Now passenger numbers have dropped off a cliff and revenue has been severely impacted making operators loss-making businesses, they're wanting to fight for more? As I say, I'm in favour of trade unions fighting for the best they can achieve in normal circumstances, but this reeks. I know industrial action is a last resort, but there's a lot of animosity on the ground among staff at bus companies at the moment, largely driven by the pay dispute. I have known drivers leave and move to independent operators (for less pay) purely because they're sick and tired of it all...

(31 Oct 2021, 10:57 am)Andreos1 wrote This isn't a new thing though. It's not unique to pay disputes and there are many reasons why drivers leave to go to an independent.

Independents need to get drivers from somewhere (they wouldn't exist otherwise) and if they can offer something that a big operator can't and it ticks the drivers motivating factor, then good luck to them.