Strike Action

[MW]

The profit margins bit is what is wrong with that statement. West Midlands Travel Limited would be making large losses with the government funding due to finish in 3 months. There is no large profit margins. Yes ALSA appears to be doing well at the moment, but no-one in the UK is currently being greedy with their profit margins, and most bus companies will be lucky to survive until the end of 2024 without changes to funding.

Yeah, I agree. The profit side of things appears to be heavily distorted with lots of your drivers quoting circa £200million per annum, which of course isn't West Midlands Travel Ltd, and is the group in total.

I was more focussed on the point about 10+ hour days and 7.5 hours pay, and the consequences of that (work/life balance). 

[j789]

That example of working 13 hour days is an extreme and can't be the norm. When driving for various companies with First, only those drivers who did split shifts would work for that long over a day, it would be impossible to do otherwise.

The longest shift we could do was 10 hours paid in a day (+/- a few mins either side). Long shifts like that always had 2 breaks that were less than an 1 hour each. We weren't paid for the first 1hour 15 mins of the total break length but anything over that was paid. Therefore total shift length was about 11.5 hours with 10ths 15 mins paid. I know Stagecoach and Diamond have similar paid duty structures to this. Do NX not do this?

In an average working week with First, I'd get a couple of those long shifts with 3 shorter 6-8 hour shifts to make it up to 39-40 paid hours. Any driver could also apply to go onto the 4 day rota where each day had the 9-10 hour longer shifts but you got an extra day off every week. These sort of shifts also appealed to drivers doing overtime as you could then get paid up to 50 paid hours in a 5 fmday week and still have 2 days off. Trust me, First are not always a. great employer either but I can't see how NX are any worse.

I just am struggling to see how this NX driver could have been working those shift lengths EVERYDAY and only been paid 7 hours (35 hours for 5 days). That doesn't add up as no one would work 30 additional hours unpaid and I do not believe NX drivers are doing that either EVERYDAY. Perhaps the odd shift may reflect this but that must be an exaggeration of the situation otherwise NX would have no driver at all. The fact they have thousands suggests this is not the reality for every NX driver unless they are on a split shift rota with these longer days.

John's previous post I completely relate to about the deterioration in passenger and other driver's behaviour in recent years, so I can understand if your transport managers are giving you grief too then that is definitely a reason to want better conditions but that is not mentioned in this case by that driver. I am not saying that long working days don't happen, of course they do but I do not believe any NX driver is forced to work 12-13 hour shifts for 7 hours pay on a daily basis. 

[Tony]

That example of working 13 hour days is an extreme and can't be the norm. When driving for various companies with First, only those drivers who did split shifts would work for that long over a day, it would be impossible to do otherwise.

The longest shift we could do was 10 hours paid in a day (+/- a few mins either side). Long shifts like that always had 2 breaks that were less than an 1 hour each. We weren't paid for the first 1hour 15 mins of the total break length but anything over that was paid. Therefore total shift length was about 11.5 hours with 10ths 15 mins paid. I know Stagecoach and Diamond have similar paid duty structures to this. Do NX not do this?

In an average working week with First, I'd get a couple of those long shifts with 3 shorter 6-8 hour shifts to make it up to 39-40 paid hours. Any driver could also apply to go onto the 4 day rota where each day had the 9-10 hour longer shifts but you got an extra day off every week. These sort of shifts also appealed to drivers doing overtime as you could then get paid up to 50 paid hours in a 5 fmday week and still have 2 days off. Trust me, First are not always a. great employer either but I can't see how NX are any worse.

I just am struggling to see how this NX driver could have been working those shift lengths EVERYDAY and only been paid 7 hours (35 hours for 5 days). That doesn't add up as no one would work 30 additional hours unpaid and I do not believe NX drivers are doing that either EVERYDAY. Perhaps the odd shift may reflect this but that must be an exaggeration of the situation otherwise NX would have no driver at all. The fact they have thousands suggests this is not the reality for every NX driver unless they are on a split shift rota with these longer days.

John's previous post I completely relate to about the deterioration in passenger and other driver's behaviour in recent years, so I can understand if your transport managers are giving you grief too then that is definitely a reason to want better conditions but that is not mentioned in this case by that driver. I am not saying that long working days don't happen, of course they do but I do not believe any NX driver is forced to work 12-13 hour shifts for 7 hours pay on a daily basis.

NX have a 12 hour max spreadover which was in the process of being reduced when this all kicked off and was supposed to have happened in January. That is one of the reasons for the anger

[Solo1]

lets hope they can sort it out quick  

[Gareth]

I have a question. If tomorrow a lot of Union drivers decide they want to work, could they then change their mind on Tuesday (or at any future point) and join the strike? Or is it a black and white you either strike or work?
You could end up having a more reduced service on some days compared to others and with the outpouring of customer dissatisfaction and anger at the moment, that won't do the cause any favours.

[Tony]

I have a question. If tomorrow a lot of Union drivers decide they want to work, could they then change their mind on Tuesday (or at any future point) and join the strike? Or is it a black and white you either strike or work?
You could end up having a more reduced service on some days compared to others and with the outpouring of customer dissatisfaction and anger at the moment, that won't do the cause any favours.

I suspect it will be the other way around.

[Rachvince53]

I suspect it will be the other way around.

I agree. If past strikes in other industries are anything to go by, then if the strike is prolonged then there will be a gradual drift back to work leaving only the hard core of strikers.  

[Coventrybususer95]

I agree. If past strikes in other industries are anything to go by, then if the strike is prolonged then there will be a gradual drift back to work leaving only the hard core of strikers. 

Or anything like the bin stikes unite had it will be months till a deal is made :(

[Tony]

I agree. If past strikes in other industries are anything to go by, then if the strike is prolonged then there will be a gradual drift back to work leaving only the hard core of strikers. 

I can't believe anyone with an intention to strike would cross a picket line in the first day, but then go on strike 

[Mayfield]

Strike hasn't achieved a result for the train drivers and I doubt this one will, once the reality of earning £75 a day takes hold and the mortgage is due they'll start drifting back to work.
Someone needs to ask unions what hardship their leaders are encountering on full pay.
If I were N.X. Id remove the offer off the table and let them get on with it, short term pain, long term gain.
If the drivers don't like the T & C's leave and get another job, there's plenty about.

[Coventrybususer95]

Strike hasn't achieved a result for the train drivers and I doubt this one will, once the reality of earning £75 a day takes hold and the mortgage is due they'll start drifting back to work.
Someone needs to ask unions what hardship their leaders are encountering on full pay.
If I were N.X. Id remove the offer off the table and let them get on with it, short term pain, long term gain.
If the drivers don't like the T & C's leave and get another job, there's plenty about.

Offer 5% same as the nurses who do work mich harder and then let the unions complain

[Gareth]

Offer 5% same as the nurses who do work mich harder and then let the unions complain

No. we don't compare jobs, who works harder etc. Every working person works hard. Every working person deserves fair compensation for the jobs they do. 

[j789]

Strike hasn't achieved a result for the train drivers and I doubt this one will, once the reality of earning £75 a day takes hold and the mortgage is due they'll start drifting back to work.
Someone needs to ask unions what hardship their leaders are encountering on full pay.
If I were N.X. Id remove the offer off the table and let them get on with it, short term pain, long term gain.
If the drivers don't like the T & C's leave and get another job, there's plenty about.

That's a daft idea, why antagonise a sizeable chunk of the work force by doing that and removing the offer. Long term that will just destroy working relations even more.
Hopefully, NX and Unite come to a quick compromise now and relationships can be built up again quickly, it's a long time since this situation occurred in the West Mids previously so things clearly haven't been too bad in past years.

[18WilliamsLi]

Any idea what time all buses will be back in garage tonight presume before 11

[BMJ1970]

Good luck to them!  People don't know what they're going to miss without the buses running.  So many people are so ungrateful and disrespectful, they don't deserve don't a bus service. Let's wait for the whingeing to start come tomorrow!