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Bus drivers in favour of strike
10:40am Friday 4th April 2008
Bus drivers in Brighton and Hove will go on strike in May over pay, according to their union.
Drivers at Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company have voted overwhelmingly for the action.
After an official independent ballot has taken place, union officials will decide on either a one-day or two-day strike.
Negotiations between officials from the Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G) and company management first started in December.
It is believed drivers are furious at plans to buy new buses after being told money was not available for a pay rise.
They are also angry about the company advertising for drivers at a pay rate that had not been agreed by the union.
Roger French, the company's managing director, said in the event of the strike taking place, a service with non-striking bus drivers would operate.
Sharon Wentworth, the union's regional industrial organiser for the South East, said: "We are now at the point of taking industrial action.
"We have met the company on numerous occasions and there has been a failure to agree at every stage.
"We have taken the company's offer back to members at about six or seven meetings and at the last one they gave us a strong mandate to reject the offer and take industrial action.
"So we are now awaiting authority to go ahead with that."
Ms Wentworth said an informal ballot of 592 members revealed 404 in favour of industrial action and 188 against.
She added: "We are still discussing things but it's likely to be a 24-hour or 48- hour stoppage."
The T&G is unhappy at the tier pay structure used by Brighton and Hove Buses and wants a single rate for all drivers.
Unlike previous ballots, the T&G is now viewing unreturned ballot papers as votes in favour of strike action.
Mr French said: "They told me that 278 members had voted for. I believe they've added to the number the people who didn't return their papers, which was 126.
"We have made a very generous offer to our staff which has already been accepted by a number of groups of staff in the company.
"I don't envisage us being able to afford to increase it as it has already found acceptance with different groups of staff.
"In the worst case position, we would do our best to maintain our services with drivers who don't want to take industrial action and keep working.
"The 126 people, I suspect, don't want to strike so there would be 314 people who would want to keep working.
"With half the workforce working we would still be able to run a good service."
The pay deal on the table varies for drivers with different lengths of service with the company.
Some drivers have been offered a rise of inflation plus one per cent while others, such as drivers who have been with the company for ten years, have been offered 2.75 per cent.
Your Say YourArgus
wayne, brighton says...
10:51am Fri 4 Apr 08
"one-day or twoday strike"Very interesting. Maybe its just me but i am not aware of the word twoday! Maybe a space should be put in there? A simple mistake granted but this is from a newspaper that proudly boasted of being nominated for an award, how?
Roger Tilbury, Worthing says...
11:03am Fri 4 Apr 08
Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
11:07am Fri 4 Apr 08
wayne wrote:The running together of the words as "twoday" must have been a subconscious echo of the way in which Roger French's buses come along together.
So they will be taking part in a"one-day or twoday strike"Very interesting. Maybe its just me but i am not aware of the word twoday! Maybe a space should be put in there? A simple mistake granted but this is from a newspaper that proudly boasted of being nominated for an award, how?
earl, says...
11:14am Fri 4 Apr 08
Terry Tibbs, Office says...
11:47am Fri 4 Apr 08
Please please bus drivers dont give up!
Go on strike for as long as possible and help brighton & hove become a nice and plesant city to drive in again.
I wonder if there will be a review meeting after the strike has taken place to see how well and freeflowing the traffic has been.
bobby bigballs, Brighton says...
12:26pm Fri 4 Apr 08
b, Brighton says...
12:56pm Fri 4 Apr 08
What a Life - Revolution Time I think!!
Me, here says...
1:22pm Fri 4 Apr 08
Roger Tilbury wrote:Yes Mr. Tilbury, but there are "far, far worse crimes" than bus drivers wanting a bigger pay rise, aren't there?
The customers might just prefer new buses to bigger pay rises for the staff. Not that any trade union has the word 'customer' in its vocabulary.
oldie, Hove says...
1:44pm Fri 4 Apr 08
We oldies - especially the disabled ones - rely on the buses to get around - so please, drivers, you are all so helpful and friendly to us, just make it a one day strike if you need to strike at all to get a reasonable wage.
Jamie, Hove says...
3:41pm Fri 4 Apr 08
I would want quite a lot for sitting in traffic jams most of the day, and dealing with some of the idiots using the service.
A single ticket has gone up by 70% over the past few years (I remember when it was a quid), I bet the drivers' pay hasn't even matched half of that.
jay, brighton says...
4:35pm Fri 4 Apr 08
tesco tart, tesco towers says...
4:53pm Fri 4 Apr 08
quoteor in case of 49,s 3 of them then all sit at portslade station and all run along together
freddy, Brighton says...
5:26pm Fri 4 Apr 08
Sussex, Sussex says...
5:29pm Fri 4 Apr 08
Gentleman Jim, Brighton says...
5:36pm Fri 4 Apr 08
Once people are forced to use their cars they may well continue, the result could well be less buses required which equals less drivers.
palace, brighton says...
6:06pm Fri 4 Apr 08
Jamie wrote:Nail on head.
How much do bus drivers get paid ?
I would want quite a lot for sitting in traffic jams most of the day, and dealing with some of the idiots using the service.
A single ticket has gone up by 70% over the past few years (I remember when it was a quid), I bet the drivers' pay hasn't even matched half of that.
The price increases have been outrageous. 5 Years ago a single was £1.00 70% increase in 5 years is scandalous.
I bet the bus drivers have got 2/3% increase each year.
GOOD LUCK TO THEM!
Justin, Brighton says...
6:19pm Fri 4 Apr 08
Unions played an important role in gaining fair employment legislation but that was in the past - they no longer serve any useful purpose.
Martin, says...
7:05pm Fri 4 Apr 08
Let them go out on strike, will keep the City moving, how many buses are running empty now or with few on, its crazy.
Me, Here says...
9:20pm Fri 4 Apr 08
only drawback is the wires which would have to go up along all their routes
GREYRUN, Hove Park says...
10:16pm Fri 4 Apr 08
Mark, Brighton says...
11:56pm Fri 4 Apr 08
another driver, says...
1:51am Sat 5 Apr 08
trians idiotic road layouts or constant roadworks popping up everywhere then the pay would be fare. Most bus drivers would agree that there shouldnt be a bus along new church road/portland rd/lewes rd or bolney road every 5 minutes but thats what the 'public' wants.
tank commander, Lewes Road says...
2:44am Sat 5 Apr 08
What's wrong with a cushty sitting down job all day?
Polish people are waitng in the wings to do your jobs much more efficiently
and at a fraction
of your cost which will enable Gruppenfuhrer Von French to halve fares overnight (I WISH)
Someone, says...
3:30am Sat 5 Apr 08
Antibus, brighton says...
9:45am Sat 5 Apr 08
Let's hope they strike for the whole summer. Bring it on!
I would never travel on a bus - full of drunks and smelly people. Ugh!
macca, brighton says...
10:41am Sat 5 Apr 08
Me wrote:totaly correct my old son. it seems rodger tillbury has forged a reputation,with this site.well said and to the point.go to the top of the pile pal
Roger Tilbury wrote: The customers might just prefer new buses to bigger pay rises for the staff. Not that any trade union has the word 'customer' in its vocabulary.Yes Mr. Tilbury, but there are "far, far worse crimes" than bus drivers wanting a bigger pay rise, aren't there?
John, Brighton says...
1:26pm Sat 5 Apr 08
Reginaldo, Muddy Field near Falmer says...
2:41pm Sat 5 Apr 08
Dave, At home says...
3:06pm Sat 5 Apr 08
And what is the point of that bus corridor on the A259 then?? a corridor on a two lane road - yeah right, maybe Frenchy is moving out there and wants to get to work a bit quicker because there is no need and no room for it.
sarah, brighton says...
3:45pm Sat 5 Apr 08
Gnat !, Newhaven says...
6:00pm Sat 5 Apr 08
sarah wrote:ahh the word's of pot kettle and black spring to mind! sarah thinks we are all selfish, but agree's we all need pay rise's ,mmmm your weak sarah, just think of your homework and part-time badly paid job! and leave the job of real people taking a stand for something they think is unfair, your probably one of the mobilephone fiddling , ipod playing ignorant rude customer's that most of us deal with day after day after day!, i'm taking a stand for fairness and the right for equality across all same job pay structure's,10yr's in the job and not so much as a well done chum, don't get me wrong i love my job it is fun , hardwork, at time's frustrating, but it's those customer's who actual talk too us and have a laugh with us and our fellow colleague's and banter with our work mate's that make us stay , try and actually appreciate us before you criticise us??? .
You selfish git what about the peolple who have to rely on buses to get to work college or school. Yes I think we all deserve bigger pay rises but what if we all decided to follow suit and go on strike
b.driver, says...
3:29am Sun 6 Apr 08
another bus driver, hove says...
3:42am Sun 6 Apr 08
another bus driver, hove says...
3:46am Sun 6 Apr 08
Patrick, Hanover says...
4:27am Sun 6 Apr 08
Dave, At home says...
9:14am Sun 6 Apr 08
bob dylan, brighton says...
5:12pm Sun 6 Apr 08
steve, brighton says...
10:55pm Sun 6 Apr 08
Divide and conquer - and save a bit of money on the pensions - final salary by any chance? What a reward for loyalty - not!
Nice cunning move Mr French - it's exactly what I would have done!
I seem to remember in the dying days of the last Liebour Govt the inflation figures didn't represent what people were actually experiencing - the result - strikes , strikes, strikes ... get used to them people - there are going to be a lot more of them!
bus drivers wife, lewes says...
4:14pm Mon 7 Apr 08
In the cab, says...
11:02am Tue 8 Apr 08
We are recognised as one of the leading bus companies in the country and fully deserving of the awards that have come our way.
Bear in mind that some of these awards were voted by the paying public (i.e. YOU), unless, as is most likely, you're a countycard holder!
FUBAR, Brighton says...
8:25pm Sat 26 Apr 08
sarah wrote:We'd probably all get paid more........
You selfish git what about the peolple who have to rely on buses to get to work college or school. Yes I think we all deserve bigger pay rises but what if we all decided to follow suit and go on strike
Selena, Brighton says...
9:25pm Thu 1 May 08
PCV, hove says...
11:36pm Thu 15 May 08
Selena wrote:It will be staged at a time to cause maximum disruption - the gloves are coming off this time - we have to fight for ourselves,just this once,then we go back to helping you guys get to work on time. Please,it may be apinful but understand,i dont have any qualifications,but i am a qualified bus driver who likes his job and is always chirpy,considering i have been threatened many times and spat at.
I think the bus drivers do deserve more money! But can we have the dates of the strike?
I am human,and i have children i have to feed.
Give that some thought.
Yet another busdriver, Brighton says...
1:58pm Thu 5 Jun 08
Yet another busdriver, Brighton says...
2:01pm Thu 5 Jun 08
Lots of love.x
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Dave, At home says...
10:51am Fri 4 Apr 08