Strike Action

[karl724223]

Unfortunately she is away out of the area this week, so she couldn't!

You're not one of these drivers on social media previously mentioned are you?

No pensnett strike is nice and peaceful 

[metrocity]

Unfortunately she is away out of the area this week, so she couldn't!

She wouldn't have been able to get the bus there anyway this week...

[GoldenSquid]

I'm slightly confused how depots other than the 'home' depot are operating other depots routes,  eg Walsall operating the X4 ?

Thought the drivers would stay on their own depots routes?

Is this tied up with the buses being parked up 'elsewhere '?

Pretty certain it's the same drivers that were meant to drive it. Just using another depots buses.

[j789]

With strikes like this, a lot of disruption is obviously to be expected. However, what is not acceptable is when this disruption is purposely targeted at vulnerable groups. If the story is true that pickets at Coventry really did prevent a school bus leaving the depot today to fulfil its essential duty, then I really hope their own kids suffer in the future because their learning is inconvenienced by other workers who they have got nothing to do with. It is just not fair to create that additional disruption to children, it is enough to withdraw your labour so few buses operate. It's a bloody disgrace to stop the few services that can operate from doing so.

I've worked alongside a fair few 'militant' union guys in various roles but not one of them would have justified such action against school buses not being able to run, no matter what the dispute was about. As a long term unite member, I cannot believe that the union would sanction such action and hopefully the more moderate drivers may well be persuaded to back a new pay deal because they too are disgusted by the action of a minority. Remember it just needs another 21% to vote for the deal. 

[suavegarv]

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/bus-driver-warns-striking-national-26531704?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

Read this earlier on 😳

[Coventrybususer95]

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/bus-driver-warns-striking-national-26531704?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

Read this earlier on 😳

Kinda worried for the safety of the working staff the stikers can fend for them selfs now 

[Coventrybususer95]

With strikes like this, a lot of disruption is obviously to be expected. However, what is not acceptable is when this disruption is purposely targeted at vulnerable groups. If the story is true that pickets at Coventry really did prevent a school bus leaving the depot today to fulfil its essential duty, then I really hope their own kids suffer in the future because their learning is inconvenienced by other workers who they have got nothing to do with. It is just not fair to create that additional disruption to children, it is enough to withdraw your labour so few buses operate. It's a bloody disgrace to stop the few services that can operate from doing so.

I've worked alongside a fair few 'militant' union guys in various roles but not one of them would have justified such action against school buses not being able to run, no matter what the dispute was about. As a long term unite member, I cannot believe that the union would sanction such action and hopefully the more moderate drivers may well be persuaded to back a new pay deal because they too are disgusted by the action of a minority. Remember it just needs another 21% to vote for the deal.

Just hope national express take a hard stance against the drivers/ persons who blocked the buses going this morning 

[cris 99]

As predicted Mr Williams is on one of his beloved 82/87 brandeds on the 6 to Solihull. What an absolute prat knowing how busy buses are. I hope you get stranded in Solihull I really do.  Not to mention a bit hypocritical considering earlier he didn't want them on BC routes because they will get wrecked. The 6 is totally different if course 🤣🤣

[Rachvince53]

I'm slightly confused how depots other than the 'home' depot are operating other depots routes,  eg Walsall operating the X4 ?

Thought the drivers would stay on their own depots routes?

Is this tied up with the buses being parked up 'elsewhere '?

Correct.  Buses are in some cases being parked at Ring and Ride depots which have refuelling and some maintenance facilities. Non-striking drivers pick up the buses from there avoiding the need to cross picket lines.

[Secondary trigger 28]

https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2023/march/national-express-union-busting-harassment-hotline-launched-after-strike-intimidation/

[Lukeee]

Most passengers I've picked up today aren't exactly supportive of the NX drivers on strike

[Coventrybususer95]

Most passengers I've picked up today aren't exactly supportive of the NX drivers on strike

After finding out they refused a 14.7% pay rise are you surprised

[Lukeee]

Personally I can see drivers slowly accepting it, most can't survive on the 70 quid unite are paying. It will be interesting to see how the public support for drivers are after this is all over.

[Stu]

Personally I can see drivers slowly accepting it, most can't survive on the 70 quid unite are paying. It will be interesting to see how the public support for drivers are after this is all over.

Not so much public support for drivers, but public perception of bus services overall.

I warned about this aspect in an article on my website earlier this year:

OPINION: Strike action by bus drivers would be extremely damaging

Passengers have already been inconvenienced for several months where bus journeys have failed to operate due to 'driver shortages' (or as Stagecoach Midlands calls them, "circumstances beyond our control"), but multiply that onto a grander scale, where barely any journeys operate at all.
I totally get that in order to attract, recruit and retain new drivers, the bus operators have to offer a decent salary.
But on the other hand, such strike action can easily put off passengers from using bus services, and once they have found some alternative, it is always going to be difficult to attract them back again.
And equally the likes of TfWM are very keen to encourage people to stop using their cars and switch to using public transport again in order to 'save the planet' by reducing carbon emissions. But if people can't rely on public transport, then they will stick to using their own cars, which just adds to the traffic congestion and makes bus services even more unreliable.

https://wmbu.org.uk/2023/01/opinion-strike-action-by-bus-drivers-would-be-extremely-damaging/

The unions are shooting themselves - and their members - in the foot, because if revenues continue to fail to increase due to slow recovery of passenger numbers, then more services will have to be cut back, and jobs will end up being lost, if fewer buses, and therefore drivers, are required.

[Stuharris 6360]

Sadly, I feel that there will be no winner in this dispute now.

If NX are forced to increase the pay offer, then fares may be foirced to rise along with the fact that passenger numbers are likely to fall causing fewer buses and drivers to be needed because of the strike action.

If the Union eventually have to give up the strike action without any further pay rise, then you are going to have very unhappy drivers given the fact of the amount of money they have lost already during the strike. Some drivers may wish to leave the company and find alternative employment with another company, perhaps a rival of NX. Drivers remaining will have low moral and also NX may still have to reduce bus and driver numbers.

It's amazing that if buses don't run, people do find alternatives and it may well be that they stick with that alternative when the buses do run.

I feel for everyones sake this strike needs sorting and fast!!