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Bus drivers set strike date
11:23am Wednesday 11th June 2008
Bus drivers look set to push ahead with strike action next week.
But it has been claimed that only a minority of drivers will refuse to work and that the action will only be a "token gesture".
Some drivers working for Brighton and Hove Bus Company are furious their demands for a 7.3% average pay rise have been ruled out and are threatening to strike on Monday.
The firm has offered a 6% average rise with a £300 lump sum, with managing director Roger French claiming any further rise would force the firm to put up bus fares.
But one insider told The Argus on Monday he believes only a small minority of drivers will strike on Monday.
He said: "The strike is still on for Monday but nearly all the drivers I've spoken to have said they're planning to work.
"To my mind it will only be a token gesture. The management aren't going to budge on their final offer and the numbers of drivers striking won't make much impact."
The row has broken out between the company and drivers who are members of the Unite union.
Members of the GMB union have accepted the company's offer and have no plans to strike.
In May bus drivers rejected a pay increase from the company ranging between 4% and 8% depending on drivers' length of service.
The new offer would have put all drivers who had worked for the company for more than a year on the same wage from August.
But Unite said that because the company had not pledged extra cash, those who had worked the longest would receive a lower pay rise.
Under the scheme proposed by Mr French, veteran drivers would receive a 2.4% increase along with a £300 lump sum, while Unite is calling for a 4% rise and wants the salary to be backdated to February.
A Unite representative said talks between its members were continuing.
Mr French said any strike would be "futile" and said only a minority of drivers would walk out.
He said: "There is absolutely no logic to such action. It only has negative consequences.
"For the sake of keeping people moving in the city, I would urge every bus driver to ignore calls to strike.
"There is no more money available.
I am very sorry for the inconvenience strike action may cause to our passengers. We will be providing a comprehensive service as many drivers are telling us they will work normally."
Do you back a strike? Tell us what you think below.
Your Say YourArgus
Anon, Brighton says...
11:33am Wed 11 Jun 08
Peter Knight, here says...
11:42am Wed 11 Jun 08
Come along to our Socialist Party meeting TONIGHT 6PM (Wednesday 11 June) AT THE PHOENIX COMMUNITY CENTRE near St Peter's Church and hear for yourself what's going on...
MD PSV B&H, MD's Office says...
11:59am Wed 11 Jun 08
Lou, Brighton says...
12:00pm Wed 11 Jun 08
MD PSV B&H, MD's Office says...
12:04pm Wed 11 Jun 08
PUBLIC NEED TO GO ON STRIKE
otherwise they will just keep filling HIS pockets.
STIKE STRIKE STRIKE
whogivesa, Brighton says...
12:09pm Wed 11 Jun 08
pcv_holder wrote:I do. I don't use the buses at all, because it's cheaper and more convenient to drive into town from Hollingdean. And I don't have to share my space with drunks, etc
-6% over 3 years = 2% -300 comes from the back pay owed so drivers loose -why dont the passengers strike over the bus fares?
Can't wait for the strike. No buses on the roads. Bliss!!
Nicola, Brighton says...
12:17pm Wed 11 Jun 08
Wooo., Woodingdean says...
12:53pm Wed 11 Jun 08
yes bladd, i back up the strkee..
down the beach to catch a tan.
THANKYOU BUS DRIVERS (:
supporter, brighton says...
1:08pm Wed 11 Jun 08
EM Park, Eastbourne says...
1:12pm Wed 11 Jun 08
mini me, Brighton says...
1:12pm Wed 11 Jun 08
I think Roger French deverves everything that is coming to him.
I hope the Bus drivers do strike and get a fair pay deal, because for years Roger french and the other upper management have been screwing them over.
Considering Roger French Has never driven a bus in his life, he wouldn`t even know what all of our bus driver have to go through, day in day out.
STRIKE GUYS THE PUBLIC ARE BACKING YOU!!!!!!!!
bobby bigballs, Brighton says...
1:33pm Wed 11 Jun 08
If the buses still run here and there it wont put too many people out will it? Come on drivers lets have an all out strike dont let the government sh*t on you.
Acheron, Hove says...
1:36pm Wed 11 Jun 08
Looks like he's caught himself out on this one. People like him always slip up eventually!
I'm driving into town as well. Cheaper to park the car for a couple of hours than to take the bus, especially with a car full!
sm, says...
1:48pm Wed 11 Jun 08
What is it with everyone going on Strike over pay?
Labour government.....and the inbreds take over the place
LIL VOICE, sussex says...
2:47pm Wed 11 Jun 08
Roger French has no guile he cares little about community just about profits,get rid oF this pompous buffoon----- He can award himself and management a loaded pay deal of 16% the drivers just 2% over three years making it 6% it is scum like this who as been ripping the public off for years with over inflated prices.
Has some has said it's time the milky bar kid took the next stage coach out of town!
Graham, Brighton says...
3:02pm Wed 11 Jun 08
I dont agree with the strike though as it will have a downside to all the passengers and why should they suffer?
olivia, brighton says...
3:10pm Wed 11 Jun 08
cyril, brighton says...
3:20pm Wed 11 Jun 08
He only cares about making money for his company and himself with great bonuses and a huge salary,not about staff or customers.This man needs a good horsewhipping he is greedy arrogant and profits over everything else has blinded him to his workers morale, no point having grand buses when your drivers hate you Rog!
Angryman, hard at work says...
3:47pm Wed 11 Jun 08
For those of you commenting that it will affect passengers and that they will suffer... why should drivers suffer at the hands of their idiot profit-seeking manager who's given themselves 16%!!!!! What else are they supposed to do? Beg at his stinking lazy two-days at work a week feet?
Remember, just as this is not the fault of passengers, this is also not the fault of drivers!
It is also not the fault of ordinary hard working people for the cost of food, fuel, water, rents, mortgages... it's the fault of the risk-taking rich and big business who expect us to pay for their errors while their pay keeps on going up and up...
Up the bus drivers' strike!!!
Jonesy, Brighton says...
3:53pm Wed 11 Jun 08
I'm going to go out and drive the streets of Brighton stress free on Monday, just for the hell of it!! Long may it continue!
Gracie, brighton says...
3:55pm Wed 11 Jun 08
proffesional psv driver, brighton says...
4:13pm Wed 11 Jun 08
Does mr french think he could have achieved this without the drivers hard work and support over the years? especially considering the awards and profit to the go-ahead shareholders are what got him a 16% pay award himself! Come on roger you got your pat on the back, where's ours?
To blame fare increases on rising fuel costs is wrong- B&H pays less than 50p a litre for biofuel.
also why has the evening argus not printed the letters from the unite union explaining their position. or is the argus copying the BBC school of biased reporting!
and to those who say we are overpaid and have an easy life why dont you become a bus driver? roger has already recognized (in words only) the hard work we do dealing with heavy traffic, constant roadworks and a small but very noticeable minority of undesireables who think nothing of assaulting a driver as a way of rounding off a saturday night out.
Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
5:23pm Wed 11 Jun 08
sm, says...
5:33pm Wed 11 Jun 08
caused by too many buses, built-out bus stops and stupid,selfish bus drivers.
arthur scargill, brighton says...
6:24pm Wed 11 Jun 08
sm, says...
6:47pm Wed 11 Jun 08
i think you'll find that Labour have excelled themselves at this.
Jim Bob, Brigton & Hove says...
7:09pm Wed 11 Jun 08
Robert Linham, Brighton says...
7:36pm Wed 11 Jun 08
maggie thatcher, roger's country pile says...
8:01pm Wed 11 Jun 08
The Man Who Sees, Brighton says...
9:59pm Wed 11 Jun 08
Wooo. wrote:I should try and get to school anyway, your spelling indicates an urgent need for it!
yess, does that mean whop ever getrs a school bus dosent have to go to school, bcoz there will be no buses (: yes bladd, i back up the strkee.. down the beach to catch a tan. THANKYOU BUS DRIVERS (:
pcv_holder, says...
12:32am Thu 12 Jun 08
sm wrote:bus drivers dont want built out bus stops - passengers do or the council thinks they do. it all stems to the labour DDA.. Most delays are actually caused by the road works
the hard work we do dealing with heavy traffic
caused by too many buses, built-out bus stops and stupid,selfish bus drivers.
and for those that think driving a bus is easy - try it, dodge the U turning motorists, the suicidal cyclists etc.
bus drivers carry the worlds most precious cargo. if you dont like it - get off.
If RF actually allowed the paper to print the only recognised union side, then people will see. Onto the next article on RF this week.
sm, says...
12:49am Thu 12 Jun 08
pcv_holder wrote:and if you don't like your job, which appears to be the case, go and get something different then and stop wingeing.
sm wrote:bus drivers dont want built out bus stops - passengers do or the council thinks they do. it all stems to the labour DDA.. Most delays are actually caused by the road works
the hard work we do dealing with heavy traffic
caused by too many buses, built-out bus stops and stupid,selfish bus drivers.
and for those that think driving a bus is easy - try it, dodge the U turning motorists, the suicidal cyclists etc.
bus drivers carry the worlds most precious cargo. if you dont like it - get off.
If RF actually allowed the paper to print the only recognised union side, then people will see. Onto the next article on RF this week.
bus drivers dont want built out bus stops
oh yeah, i'm sure you're REALLY bothered by them aren't you.
ignored, brighton says...
1:23am Thu 12 Jun 08
£10.25 now and £11.50 in 2011? i would have said yes,and so qwould a lot of others.
tell you what union brothers - YOU turn it down - ill accept it if it is offered to me in a ballot by my union.
dave weekes what have you got to say about that?
you think we are all going to object at the labour club in front of the other drivers?
OFFER US THE BALLOT!
The Man Who Sees, B righton says...
8:47pm Fri 13 Jun 08
ignored wrote:So you would like to have balloted on a 3 year deal with no extra money on the table after a 2 year deal had been previously rejected? Get real you burk! Because of Unite's perseverance there is now a far better offer on the table which would never have materialised if it had been left to the likes of **** cats like you.
im all for consensus - but what no one has mentioned is that the UNITE members didnt even ballot us on the present offer -they made the decision for us! £10.25 now and £11.50 in 2011? i would have said yes,and so qwould a lot of others. tell you what union brothers - YOU turn it down - ill accept it if it is offered to me in a ballot by my union. dave weekes what have you got to say about that? you think we are all going to object at the labour club in front of the other drivers? OFFER US THE BALLOT!
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pcv_holder, says...
11:31am Wed 11 Jun 08
-300 comes from the back pay owed so drivers loose
-why dont the passengers strike over the bus fares?