Strike Action

[Rachvince53]

Do we know what form any industrial action will take?

Overtime ban, which might mean cancellation of certain late night journeys?

No buses on Saturdays, like the last major strike in the 1990s?

Or all out, with everyone to fend for themselves?

I would imagine it would start with an overtime ban or possibly like the Royal Mail and others striking all out on selected days.

[j789]

What's wrong with 10% wow some people.

It's a tough one because 10% sounds good but it doesn't quite meet the 12-13% inflation levels of recent times so is a real terms pay cut.

I don't like the 'company greed' rhetoric from the Unite spokesman on there though making out it is 100% down to the employees they made a multi million pound profit (sadly it's a typical union argument though), I think he may find that the massive investment in new vehicles and infrastructure by NXWM in recent years has also played a significant part too.

However, if a better offer of say 12% was offered by NX I really think that would be the halfway house needed to resolve this and prevent anyone 'losing face' over it.

Anyonr know if Diamond and other local operators have offered similar rises?

[winston]

It's a tough one because 10% sounds good but it doesn't quite meet the 12-13% inflation levels of recent times so is a real terms pay cut.

The vast majority of workers will not be getting inflation matching pay rises, yet they won't be striking. These percentage payrises are not realistic & inflation is expected to start falling once interest rate hikes kick in. 

[j789]

The vast majority of workers will not be getting inflation matching pay rises, yet they won't be striking. These percentage payrises are not realistic & inflation is expected to start falling once interest rate hikes kick in.

That is true but I think with the current driver shortages added on top of inflation, there really is no alternative to a substantial increase in this case. Other industries have less pressure on available staff so I doubt they will get anything like this %.

It's the train drivers that take the P in my opinion with their arguments for more pay not bus drivers, telling everyone they can't afford to live on £45000 without an inflation busting pay rise. Bus drivers deserve a decent pay rise across the board, rather than the usual 50p an hour or so a year rise that is the norm.

[monkeyjoe]

Will be curious if these get public sympathy, not feeling any myself. 

[2900]

Will be curious if these get public sympathy, not feeling any myself.

NX employees not looking for public sympathy, they want a fair deal,  people  banging on about 10% for engineers any one seen the actual full deal on the table. From a drivers point view point view its a job most people won't or cant't do, people look down there noses at bus driving jobs like its beneath them. 
currently and this is fact we are paid 38 hrs, new terms and conditions 36/37hrs , black country duty compass  currently 8.45 new T&Cs 8.30, brum garages 9hrs 30 even worse, with the compass at 42 hrs i calculate drivers lose £57.60p a week, monthly £230.40, £2764.12 yearly very sobering figures. when i factor in my compass on top rate i earn £12.72 on 8.45 compass even worse on a split duty £9 an hour,  NXWM got there new T&Cs through banging the drum we will pay you every minute you work, any break over 70 minutes we will pay, we all saw from a mile away those dutys will vanish etc etc losing our paid breaks had a very negative harm to the duties, union at fault in my eyes for not putting up a fight to defend them 
NX have very clever lawyers and number cruncher's 

[2900]

It's a tough one because 10% sounds good but it doesn't quite meet the 12-13% inflation levels of recent times so is a real terms pay cut.

I don't like the 'company greed' rhetoric from the Unite spokesman on there though making out it is 100% down to the employees they made a multi million pound profit (sadly it's a typical union argument though), I think he may find that the massive investment in new vehicles and infrastructure by NXWM in recent years has also played a significant part too.

However, if a better offer of say 12% was offered by NX I really think that would be the halfway house needed to resolve this and prevent anyone 'losing face' over it.

Anyonr know if Diamond and other local operators have offered similar rises?

without drivers there is no company period, they bang on about new vehicle investment well its part of the business, buses get old they replace them standard oh wow big deal, i use drive around 25 year old Metrobuses no problem did'nt bother me.
Coventrys great electric plan oh wow, NX Instead of writing cheques every month for leasing diesel buses they will write cheques to zenobe instead who will provide fairy dust too

[Ginger66]

If the strikes do go ahead it could be workers that hard it hit.    As it could cost me £45 a day for taxis to get from Wednesbury to Edgbaston if you do that 3 times a week you are looking at almost £150 just for travel.

[winston]

If the strikes do go ahead it could be workers that hard it hit.    As it could cost me £45 a day for taxis to get from Wednesbury to Edgbaston if you do that 3 times a week you are looking at almost £150 just for travel.

Metro ?

[Westy]

It'll interesting to see, with the recent changes, how many of us have a viable non NX alternative?

I'll have to use the Diamond 326 both ways, as there's no non Nx alternative between Walsall and Willenhall, since Thandi went, even though Diamond are on the 31 / 32 between Bloxwich and Walsall. 

(And change my hours slightly as well, as the first 326 from Bloxwich is 715am,  but if that doesn't show, as it hasn't done in the past, causing me to go via Walsall instead, I'd have to wait for the 745am instead, which would mean a 830 to 430 shift instead!)

[Wumpty]

During the bus strikes of the early 90s, I was working for Midland Choice and we'd registered emergency routes to cover WMT's missing services. We covered the 319, 374 and registered a Walsall - Bloxwich - Lower Farm as 272. Many other Bentley services were covered by Stevensons and Dudley by the Thandi group of companies. Even back then, there were still plenty of services running (and we made an absolute killing!)

[Westy]

During the bus strikes of the early 90s, I was working for Midland Choice and we'd registered emergency routes to cover WMT's missing services. We covered the 319, 374 and registered a Walsall - Bloxwich - Lower Farm as 272. Many other Bentley services were covered by Stevensons and Dudley by the Thandi group of companies. Even back then, there were still plenty of services running (and we made an absolute killing!)

I remember, but would the resources be there this time round though?

[2206]

It'll interesting to see, with the recent changes, how many of us have a viable non NX alternative?

I'll have to use the Diamond 326 both ways, as there's no non Nx alternative between Walsall and Willenhall, since Thandi went, even though Diamond are on the 31 / 32 between Bloxwich and Walsall.

(And change my hours slightly as well, as the first 326 from Bloxwich is 715am,  but if that doesn't show, as it hasn't done in the past, causing me to go via Walsall instead, I'd have to wait for the 745am instead, which would mean a 830 to 430 shift instead!)

Not many probably and if the strike action is the same days as WMR aren't operating even less will have an alternative so will have even more of an impact.
On the fox and goose - city corridor we just have national express now, as diamond finished a few weeks ago. 

[midlandred2003]

I was driving for bham coach co at the time was the only bus on 6 to Solihull,very busy.

[Stu]

It'll interesting to see, with the recent changes, how many of us have a viable non NX alternative?

If there were no NX buses running at all, my only other options are to walk to/from work (just over an hour), or get the train from Yardley Wood to Small Heath. But I'm just looking at the train timetable and its ridiculous now, I'm sure there used to be a train every twenty minutes between those two stations, now its hourly!

I'd probably end up working from home on those days, there's no way I'm paying for a taxi especially as they'll be taking full advantage by hiking their prices up.