(10 Oct 2023, 2:32 pm)omnicity4659 wrote I work for Stagecoach, can go out and pick up half a journey and be paid the 3 hours for it.
Not uncommon for drivers to be offered it to extend their service to beyond a changeover point to keep going into the city centre when there isn't a relief.
Not unique to Go North East at all.
Just last Saturday I offered to do a bit afterduty. Took a bus out of the depot to the town, did a 10 to Grangetown, 11 to Pennywell (last bus) then brought it back. Less than an hour driving and I got paid 3 hours. It's not that hard to get your paid hours up without linearly increasing your working hours if you know what you're doing.
(10 Oct 2023, 6:11 pm)Adrian wrote Which may be in line with the rules on fortnightly rest, but I'd argue not within the spirit of them.
Whenever I look at the GB domestic rules, I can't help but think the whole thing requires a massive overhaul. I wonder if any Unions are campaigning on this? The whole thing is like something from the Victorian times, compared to say the Working Time Directive.
An office worker is entitled to 1 day in 7 or 2 days in 14 off (and in reality it's closer to 39 or 63 hours), yet someone driving a bus carrying 60+ people can manage with not even a single proper day off to relax. At the same time, they could be (and apparently, encouraged to) working up to 60 hour weeks on the bounce.
Madness. Surprised they aren't asking you to bring your kids in and sending them up the chimney, whilst they're at it.
The rules have been in place since the 60s. Our union (and I suspect basically every bus driver union in the country) will not allow a company to get to those limits, unless the driver chooses to do so. Not sure what it's like at GNE but our rotas give 2 rest days per calendar week. That may involve working 8 or 9 days in a row, but that'll end in a long weekend (fri, sat, sun, mon - or just sat, sun, mon on rotas that have every sunday off). In addition, one of the first things that was pointed out to me when I joined was that we have the right to refuse to work a rest day.