Feared bus strike averted (From The Argus)

Website changes

Welcome to our new-look website Find out more »

Your Argus

TEXT your pictures, videos and messages to 80360. Start your message with SUPIC or email your tip-offs »

News RSS Feed

Feared bus strike averted

7:09pm Friday 9th May 2008

comment Comments (15) Have your say »

By Simon Barrett »

More than 150 bus drivers will not strike after a union accepted a pay offer - but 600 others could still walk out.

Members of two separate unions at the Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company are currently being balloted over strike action.

More than 150 members of the GMB union have decided to accept the company's revised offer which encompassed changes to terms and conditions.

Meanwhile almost 600 members of the Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G) have been voting in a similar ballot and the results are expected next week.

The pay offer from the Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company to the union varies for drivers with different lengths of service with the company.

Last month, in an informal T&G ballot, 404 voted in favour of industrial action, with 188 against.

If a yes vote is returned, the union then has to agree on whether to hold a 24 or 48-hour walkout, which could bring the city to a virtual standstill.

Any strike action is expected to take place this month. A result is expected on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Print article » Email to a friend »

Your Say YourArgus

Taxi Driver, says...
7:30pm Fri 9 May 08

Thank god for that. I have been tossing and turning all night with worry.

They provide such a valuable service to the City. Always so polite and good mannered.

I blame the SAR for this.

Report this post »

Major Blyth-Smith, 3rd Foot and Mouth, says...
8:10pm Fri 9 May 08

I wasn't fearing it, i walk everywhere i need to go to

Report this post »

Angryman, hard at work says...
9:35pm Fri 9 May 08

What a misleading title Argus? The strike hasn't been averted because a majority of the bus workers are still currently balloting.

I wonder what the reason was for the argus to use this heading? mmm...

Report this post »

bussy user, says...
10:40pm Fri 9 May 08

Isnt the T&G/Unite the only one recognised as having negotiating rights within the B&H bus company? Therefore the GMB have no real authority to deal with pay negotiations.
If the T&G walk out then the GMB are 'obliged' to respect the other union

Report this post »

In the know, Brighton says...
10:58pm Fri 9 May 08

The GMB have been recognised by the bus company since the 1970's.

Report this post »

bus man, drivers seat says...
9:54am Sat 10 May 08

In the know wrote:
The GMB have been recognised by the bus company since the 1970's.

correct. when there were two companies, there were two unions, and this practise continues today. lewes rd garage have the gmb, and whitehawk and conway st have the other. therefore you will end up with most buses running from lewes rd, i.e 10s, 24/26s 25s 49s .

Report this post »

Lou, brighton says...
3:23pm Sat 10 May 08

How can the Argus claim the strike is "Averted" when the majority of drivers have voted FOR it?

Report this post »

bussy user, says...
5:17pm Sat 10 May 08

Agreed that GMB is recognised but according to the big P&P file, they are not listed as a wages negotiating panel.
The GMB are the minority with most members at Conway Street. So the GMB discusssion over working practices is complete, but the T&G/Unite dispute over pay is not. Therefore the strike is not averted or cancelled. Only the ballot will tell.

Report this post »

ted, says...
6:50pm Sat 10 May 08

please please please STRIKE,my company could do with a piece of brighton and hove pie

Report this post »

a normal driver, Brighton says...
10:52am Sun 11 May 08

This just isn't fair. I was looking forward to the strike going on for weeks.
I was looking forward to roads clear of slow moving, badly driven buses. I was hoping that they might open the bus lanes up to the rest of us drivers. I was looking forward to NOT getting stuck behind a huge double decker moving at a snail's pace with just 4 customers onboard.
But I suppose the drunks and nutters have to have some way of getting around.....

Report this post »

bit of advice, says...
12:09pm Sun 11 May 08

The buses may be badly driven in some cases but they`re still better than you. Do you really think that less buses on the road means less gridlock? NO. It`ll mean More cars on teh road and MORE gridlock cos fo everyone who would otherwise be on a bus (be it the big Lemon`s gaffa tape assembled horrors or Brighton and Hove`s rattlers) will be getting lifts and taxis and stuff. the only mercy would be that the bus strike doesn`t happen on the same day as any rail strike. Then there`d be chaos

Report this post »

Paul, Brighton says...
11:01pm Tue 13 May 08

Buses badly driven? Have you seen the Taxis doing "u" turns in Churchill Sq? the general standard of the common driver on the roads? As for moving slowly. Thats safer is it not? stopping all the Idiots stepping off the kerbs killing themselves?

I'm for the strike. The grief they put up with from "better drivers" and the general "drunks and nutters" they deserve more!

I hope the place comes to a standstill. Come on French! stump up the cash! your making big enough profits year in year out!

Anyone seen the B&H and Goahead share Prices?

Good luck to them...

Report this post »

LRG, says...
11:20pm Thu 15 May 08

bus man wrote:

In the know wrote:
The GMB have been recognised by the bus company since the 1970's.
correct. when there were two companies, there were two unions, and this practise continues today. lewes rd garage have the gmb, and whitehawk and conway st have the other. therefore you will end up with most buses running from lewes rd, i.e 10s, 24/26s 25s 49s .

No offence but there isnt a single GMB member at LRG - we are a TGWU/UNITE garage.
The "10's" ][ and 50's and 24's certainly wont be running without 600 drivers.

Pay us a little bit more and everyone is happy.

The GMB members are located at conway street.

Report this post »

Fish, says...
7:54pm Tue 10 Jun 08

They're only asking for a decent living wage in a city with a cost of living as high as London.
And poor old Rog only got a bonus of £36K (More than any driver earns in a year!)

Report this post »

bus driver, brighton says...
9:55pm Mon 16 Jun 08

a normal driver wrote:
This just isn\'t fair. I was looking forward to the strike going on for weeks. I was looking forward to roads clear of slow moving, badly driven buses. I was hoping that they might open the bus lanes up to the rest of us drivers. I was looking forward to NOT getting stuck behind a huge double decker moving at a snail\'s pace with just 4 customers onboard. But I suppose the drunks and nutters have to have some way of getting around.....

You sound like a member of the selfish car drivers' club. You probably drive a 4x4, park on bus stops, generally exceed the speed limit and refuse to let anybody pull out in front of you, especially buses. Your perception of buses being badly driven is simply a reflection of your own attitude to driving: the bus is in front, therefore it is holding you up and so it must be being driven badly. And whilst we might get the occasional drunk or nutter on board, the vast majority are normal, decent people going about their business and with a perfect right to travel in front of you.

Report this post »

Your sayYourArgus

comment Add your comment

Register for a FREE The Argus account and you can have your say on today's news and sport by adding comments on articles we publish. The best comments may even get published in the paper.

Please register now or sign in below to continue.