Strike Action

[Gareth]

What is continuous strike action? Does that mean the strike will start on 16th and carry on until an agreement is met?

[Coventrybususer95]

What is continuous strike action? Does that mean the strike will start on 16th and carry on until an agreement is met?

I think so if its the case could TFWM pull contracts from nxbus and gave them to other companies

[Rachvince53]

I'm no expert on this obviously, but surely unless the other union(s) say 'We won't cross the picket line, out of sympathy ', Unite members wouldn't be able to do that?

(Who are the other 'bus driving ' unions by the way?)

TSSA and possibly RMT. 
My understanding is that what would in effect be sympathy strikes are illegal. Certainly when I worked in education my colleagues were not permitted to stop me (as a member of another union) crossing the picket line into school - they actually waved at me!  

[j789]

I think so if its the case could TFWM pull contracts from nxbus and gave them to other companies

Ridiculous comment. You honestly think there is a big surplus of drivers available for these other companies to do this? Look at the issues the whole industry faces currently, there just aren't enough good drivers.
Do you think those striking drivers are going to suddenly decide to just quit and go to another company where the long term job and wage conditions will in no way match what the drivers are currently fighting for at NX?
You think Stagecoach or similar are going to just manic up some new drivers when they themselves can't run their current full quota of routes.

This whole situation is a mess and hopefully common sense from all sides will come through and some sort of compromise reached in the next 2 weeks.

[Westy]

TSSA and possibly RMT.
My understanding is that what would in effect be sympathy strikes are illegal. Certainly when I worked in education my colleagues were not permitted to stop me (as a member of another union) crossing the picket line into school - they actually waved at me! 

RMT obviously heard of, but not TSSA.

Thought as much about the 'sympathy strikes'!

[Westy]

Ridiculous comment. You honestly think there is a big surplus of drivers available for these other companies to do this? Look at the issues the whole industry faces currently, there just aren't enough good drivers.
Do you think those striking drivers are going to suddenly decide to just quit and go to another company where the long term job and wage conditions will in no way match what the drivers are currently fighting for at NX?
You think Stagecoach or similar are going to just manic up some new drivers when they themselves can't run their current full quota of routes.

This whole situation is a mess and hopefully common sense from all sides will come through and some sort of compromise reached in the next 2 weeks.

See who 'blinks first'!

[winston]

I'm no expert on this obviously, but surely unless the other union(s) say 'We won't cross the picket line, out of sympathy ', Unite members wouldn't be able to do that?

(Who are the other 'bus driving ' unions by the way?)

Tony said some drivers aren't members of any union & therefore could still be working on strike days.  

[Steveminor]

Would you really want to be the only NX bus on say the Soho rd or through Alum Rock plus get the grief from your colleagues for breaking a picket line

[Rachvince53]

Would you really want to be the only NX bus on say the Soho rd or through Alum Rock plus get the grief from your colleagues for breaking a picket line

I certainly wouldn't want to be in that situation. Perhaps time to take some leave?

[Rachvince53]

RMT obviously heard of, but not TSSA.

Thought as much about the 'sympathy strikes'!

Transport Salieried Staff Association.  Based in London but with regional offices. Members work in various transport industries.  As you say, not as well known as RMT. 

[Wumpty]

What is continuous strike action? Does that mean the strike will start on 16th and carry on until an agreement is met?

Continuous strike action is when two or more strike days occur consecutively, with no working days in between.

All-out strike action is exactly that - all members of Unions balloted who declare strike action will strike and not work during the period that strike action occurs. There are some very extreme cases where this may not apply.

[Wumpty]

That's assuming the striking drivers allow buses to leave depots driven by non union members...

It won't be much use to anyone who doesn't have a smart phone / use trackers to see what's running etc

Good point @winston - it is worth mentioning that (and I'm sure due consideration will be given to) not impeding buses leaving/entering the garages where the public highway meets private property. Back in the 90s, Walsall garage occupied all land that immediately bordered Bloxwich Road, meaning pickets stood in the mouth of the WA entrance, thus impeding buses, though no one physically stopped buses leaving driven by non-Union members.

It gets complicated now as that access is used by several businesses so |I'm assuming any picket line would have to occupy either the mouth to the actual garage where it joins the rest of the estate to Bloxwich Road, or stand on the footpath on Bloxwich Road but not attempt to stop buses as it has multiple commercial uses.

[2206]

Would you really want to be the only NX bus on say the Soho rd or through Alum Rock

Arriva 110 between Birmingham and Good Hope these will probably be hit hard to with no NX X4. Or diamond 16a/50.
Can imagine most buses that are running in the West Mids that day are going to be overcrowded.

[Westy]

Tony said some drivers aren't members of any union & therefore could still be working on strike days. 

It would be interesting to see where non striking staff would fill the gaps?

Take Walsall for instance, if Diamond cover the 31/32, would Nx non striking drivers cover the 51 for example, depending on whether Perry Barr covers anything else on that stretch to Brum from PB shops to the City Centre?

Obviously I'm not asking how many non union drivers there are per depot, but there must be a plan somewhere?

[Ginger66]

Would drivers for NEAT be drafted in to run services to keep the West Midlands moving