Strike Action

[Stu]

'This is our best and final offer': National Express boss urges drivers to back down from strikes
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/transport/2023/03/07/national-express-boss-urges-bus-drivers-to-back-down-from-continuous-strike-action-saying-there-is-no-more-money-available/

[winston]

'This is our best and final offer': National Express boss urges drivers to back down from strikes
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/transport/2023/03/07/national-express-boss-urges-bus-drivers-to-back-down-from-continuous-strike-action-saying-there-is-no-more-money-available/

Pity the E&S article is quoting the entire NX Group turnover & profits rather than just WMT Limited t/a NXWM figures, but then again they are being mislead by the Unite Statements.

Of the £2.8 Billion NX Group Turnover, it is broken down as follows:

ALSA = £962.5 Million (34%)
North America = £1048.2 Million (37%)
UK = £528.3 Million (19%)
German Rail = £268.5 Million (10%)

The £197.3 NX Group Profit:

ALSA = £103.9 Million
North America = £68.4 Million
UK = £25.6 Million (Which includes National Express West Midlands & Coventry, National Express Coaches, National Express Transport Solutions & National Express Accessible Transport)
German Rail = £17.6 Million

The subsidary accounts aren't on Companies House yet, but the prior year accounts show West Midlands Travel Ltd (t/a National Express West Midlands) up to 31st Dec 2021:

Turnover = £279.7 Million
Operating Profit = £11.6 Million (4.1% operating profit margin)

Contrary to what Unite say, NX Group shareholders have had no dividends in 3 years. In addition NX's share price has over halved post Covid from circa £3.30+ in early 2021 down to £1.41 currently.

[Stu]

Pity the E&S article is quoting the entire NX Group turnover & profits rather than just WMT Limited t/a NXWM figures, but then again they are being mislead by the Unite Statements. 

Exactly, the media are fuelling this 'perception' among the general public that NX West Midlands should "pay their staff what they demand" because they believe that NX West Midlands is raking in millions of pounds of profit, which is fundamentally untrue.

I know they're not available yet, but I bet the NX Bus profits for 2022 are even lower, what with increased operating costs, as all other bus operators are struggling with.

[don]

Exactly, the media are fuelling this 'perception' among the general public that NX West Midlands should "pay their staff what they demand" because they believe that NX West Midlands is raking in millions of pounds of profit, which is fundamentally untrue.

I know they're not available yet, but I bet the NX Bus profits for 2022 are even lower, what with increased operating costs, as all other bus operators are struggling with.

The price of diesel has reduced significantly in the last few months. And the cost of running EVs, the volume of which has increased significantly in the last few months also, is less than conventional buses (and should reduce even more when the 75% reduction in wholesale gas prices feeds into electricity prices). 

[Tony]

The price of diesel has reduced significantly in the last few months. And the cost of running EVs, the volume of which has increased significantly in the last few months also, is less than conventional buses (and should reduce even more when the 75% reduction in wholesale gas prices feeds into electricity prices).

Diesel price changes don't have any effect. All diesel to mid 2025 already had the price agreed in a process call hedging

[PB50]

So we now know that the strike action will continue everyday until they get a result. Hope it doesn't last too long.

[Coventrybususer95]

So we now know that the strike action will continue everyday until they get a result. Hope it doesn't last too long

Gave them a week and there be back working

[Westy]

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/birmingham/2023/03/08/row-erupts-over-national-express-west-midlands-hospital-route-network-plan-ahead-of-strike-action/

Intriguing?

[Coventrybususer95]

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/birmingham/2023/03/08/row-erupts-over-national-express-west-midlands-hospital-route-network-plan-ahead-of-strike-action/

Intriguing?

Cant they bring in the coach arm of national express as i know they can get coaches in at UHCW

[Steve3229vp]

Cant they bring in the coach arm of national express as i know they can get coaches in at UHCW

Where will the drivers come from ?

[Coventrybususer95]

Where will the drivers come from ?

NETS as its only the west midlands bus drivers who are on strike

[Tony]

NETS as its only the west midlands bus drivers who are on strike

And who drives all the contracts and National Express coaches?

[Solo1]

hope they sort out the strike 

[PB50]

From what I hear this morning from a bus driver there's another meeting today with unite so maybe the strike action will be resolved before it starts.

[winston]

This thread with comments from 'DriverNX' give a good indication how drivers feel & what their issues are:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/national-express-west-midlands-bus-strike.244225/