FIRST SOUTH YORKSHIRE BUS STRIKE

Watcher | 19.07.2004 16:58 | Sheffield

DRIVERS TO WALK OUT AT MIDNIGHT!

First Drivers in South Yorkshire make a stand for a decent working wage in an industy that fails to keep its employees due to poor working hours, abususive customers and a FAT CAT profiteering company thats raking it in on its monopoly control on most of South Yorkshires services. Support the worker's...

From Sheffield today...

First, the county's largest bus company, has received formal notification from union bosses that drivers will strike indefinitely from midnight on Monday.
The industrial action is over pay. Drivers are angry that the company's latest offer of 1.5 per cent works out at 24 pence an hour over the next two years.
Their representitives have been negotiating with managers at First for the past three months.
Brandon Jones, commercial director of First, did not deny the union's figures - but refused to go into details of the pay deal.

FULL ARTICLE:

http://www.sheffieldtoday.net/viewarticle2.aspx?ArticleID=821536&SectionID=58&Search=bus&Searchtype=any&SearchSection=58&DateFrom=011995&DateTo=072004&Page=1&ReturnPage=Results.aspx

ALSO: This company since deregulation (Privatisation) has rised fares to an extortionate level in South Yorkshire, as the have just about full monopoly of all major services. This is unacceptable for many working people who don't have much choice. In Manchester for example, a lot of companies offer flat rate fares at prices from around 50p. This although prices are better is not ideal as the network is fractured and and again First or Stagecoach dominate certain areas. The only way for decent public transport is to bring it back into the publics helm as we once had. South Yorkshire had an envied system where the elderly could travel free and kids prices were "cheap as chips"! I think we need some discussion about this issue too...

Watcher

Comments

Hide the following 12 comments

we should support them

20.07.2004 10:32

While it is going to be a major inconvenience, (i'm disabled) I support the strike and wish them well. Bus drivers have a tough time, with low pay and bad behaviour: violent attacks,insults, etc, to deal with. The Left/activists should support these public workers.

the sheff-wickerman

indymedia , where are you,

23.07.2004 10:41

Why is this not a main story on the Sheffield site, over 800 drivers are all out on a significant strike in what is an essential service. There have been pickets on all main depots and as far as we know the strike has been solid. Perhaps IS could get down to the picketlines to interview strikers. The Star has been publishing letters from drivers families showing how many are on benefits as their wages are so low, add to that the shit they take from joe public and this is one big story.Especially
as by claiming benefits, the state is effectively subsidising crap employers.

One driver claimed that his colleagues were forced to claim benefits to supplement their income "Many of our drivers are claiming family credit because they are not paid enough by First Bus to feed and clothe their families".

Busser

another view could be this..

23.07.2004 12:57

Lets be honest shall we, the bus service in sheffield
no longer has the public support or confidence.

While it's going to be a major inconvenience, I
support the strike and wish them well. Bus drivers
have a tough time, with low pay and bad behaviour:
violent attacks,insults, etc, to deal with. We should
support these public workers."

However, they would win my support more.. If they
decided to allow all passengers on for free.

This would hit the pockets of First Mainline, part of
the Stagecoach group, who earn millions every day from
their operations across the UK.

Instead here are a set union bureaucrats and bosses
embroiled in an argument and the real losers in all of
this are the public servants (bus drivers) together
with the passengers (fellow workers) by striking.

If public servants desire our support then they have
to act with us, not against. Their actions can be
considered as selfish.

I wish all workers well and they get that very just
pay reward they desrve, however, not at the cost of
other workers. So next time Mr union bureaucrat, how
about letting us passengers ride for free, that would
be a lesson the bosses would not fail to understand.

Mark Mozaz Wallis
(full letter sent local press)

Mark Mozaz Wallis
Homepage: http://c60.org.uk

Sheffield bus Drivers, stop and think...

23.07.2004 19:34

As a member of the public, who uses First buses on a daily basis, and a public worker myself. I use and depend on First buses to travel to and from work, at one of South Yorkshires Hospitals. I would like to view my anger and dismay, at once again being inconvenienced by First bus drivers striking over pay. Not only is this becoming an annual event, but I wonder if those drivers involved have ever stopped to think what their striking actually means to those customers loyal to the service, disabled or frail. Customers who create their jobs and help pay their wages, through the subsidisation of the bus services. As a provider of health care to the people of South Yorkshire, a skilled professional who works much longer hours then the reduced 38hr week proposed by first buses. Saving lives on a daily basis, under stressful circumstances. Dealing with abuse and violence daily from the public, and frequent staff shortages, made worse by such strikes. The potencial effects of which can have a conciderable effect on the ability of fellow public workers such as my self, to get into care for, the families of those drivers striking. Many of my colloquies, being on £8.50 or less an hour, the same as is being proposed for First bus drivers, who after all are largely unskilled, providing a less then perfect bus service. How much I wonder of the frequent delays are caused by drivers taking crafty breaks (As witnessed first hand). Somedays Im lucky to get a break at all. Lastly I would like to appeal to those who are striking to think carefully about what they are doing, after all they are getting an above inflation pay rise, and as such will be on substantially more then my relatives who drive for a living. Their jobs ultimately depend on us, the customers using and paying for the service, and perhaps the next time their families need care, their may not be those their, to care for them.

The only result of such striking, is that the public are becomeing less supportive of you, the drivers, with each passing day!

Anonymus

correction

24.07.2004 13:38

[bus drivers] "after all are largely unskilled, providing a less then perfect bus service."

It is first mainline that provides the bus service not the drivers so what are you complaining about?

secondly:

A bus driver has to do quite abit of training and to qualify to drive a bus. A bus driver also needs to hae had a driving license for severall year as well, so i think that counts as skilled.

not enough time in the world

Blame the company not the drivers

26.07.2004 08:51

I think everyone can agree that we are inconveinienced by the stike but we have to remember who are the bad guys here - First bus company! I travel all over the country and have seen over the last couple of years an increase in First buses in many towns and cities. Do we want First to take over completely and increase bus fares so much that bus travel becomes too expensive for anyone? All this is doing is increasing the number of people who want to travel to work in their cars.
Mainline wasn't a fabulous bus service but at least the bus drivers were treated better and the service was cheaper for the public. Isn't it time that our council had some kind of say in what is going on in Sheffield.
What about the supertram - please please let it come into more areas of Sheffield and then hopefully more people would use that instead of First buses - then they will be hit where it hurts - in their profits!
Support the bus drivers and other bus companies in Sheffield in the meantime. Yorkshire terriers aren't that frequent but they still deserve our support as a rival for First!

Sheffield Sheila

update

26.07.2004 14:48

Its good to see the Sheffield and National site is now Headlining the story! I have only posted here a few times and was not aware of emailing the IMC to get the story headlined but it is now!

I am glad to see the strike still solid, with the threat of scab action cancelled! I was speaking with colleagues at work who live out as far out as Rotherham who vowed they would not catch a scab service and would rather walk! A lot of colleagues have now got other plans, such as lifts, tram, rail, cycling and walking to and fro work! One of my colleagues said that "the strike has got him excercising more than he has been in a while and added that "if he he saw a scab service he would give em what for". The peole who I work with are not militant, but they understand the workers struggle at First. Our workplace has its problems and the action has made some people think through debate that if we had a Union and solidarity that the First workers have, what we could achieve!

Again I stress my solidarity with the Workers at First for victory "the workers united will never be defeated"!

Watcher...

***SOME OTHER LINKS***

BBC SOUTH YORKSHIRE MESAGEBOARD (HAVE YOUR SAY!)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/h2/h2.cgi?thread=%3C1090243271-6124.3%40forum1.thdo.bbc.co.uk%3E&find=%3C1090243271-6124.3%40forum1.thdo.bbc.co.uk%3E&board=england.southyorkshire&sort=Te

TRANSPORT AND GENERAL WORKERS UNION (BULLETIN)

http://www.tgwu.org.uk/Templates/News.asp?NodeID=90956&int1stParentNodeID=42438&int2ndParentNodeID=89396&Action=Display

Watcher

EXCELLENT

26.07.2004 14:49

EXCELLENT. I live in the area and am affected by the strike but YES I agree the fares are too high. FastBuck (oops, FirstBus) charge nearly THREE QUID for a return ticket to the shops, they actually abolished returns in favour of day tickets, but who really needs unlimited travel on a bus all day? The buses are typically late, filthy with newspapers, leaflets and all sorts of rubbish coating the floor, and this is at 7am one morning, do the things ever get cleaned? Whilst they have perfectly good double-deckers, they choose a tiny 40-seater bus, it's jammed packed full and those are the ones that you can get on. The things rattle, seats are falling to bits (no repairs after vandals strike) and speedometers are out of use - I saw one which has been over a year and a half out of use "waiting for spares". They seem interested in money, and nothing else.

Anon

Well I never

03.08.2004 05:25

As a responsible teenager who constantly gets steriotyped as being a thug and a waste of space by many bus drivers i see no reason why they should get a pay rise. Most, and it has to be said First drivers! in south yorkshire are rude and arrogant towards there decent customers, if i spoke to my customers in my place of work like bus drivers do i would surely be given disiplinry action. bus drivers should be monitored individually and given a pay rise when they are seeming to be doing good for the companies loyal customers, at the end of the day they choose there work, nobody else does if they don't like it find a job that doesn't involve people skills!!!

CJK

A Bus Driver's View

10.08.2004 11:57

First and foremost we stuck together and won the good fight. We are back to work without conceding benefits to pay for the rise.

As regards bus drivers not being skilled - bus drivers are professional drivers working long awkwardly timed shifts - anyone who thinks it's easy should give it a go.

Pay Rates - only a very small minority of drivers are on anything like £8 an hour - it takes over 16 years in the job to get to that rate - most are earning only £6.15(after the rise) with no overtime, weekend allowance or shift allowance and with lousy working conditions to boot.

Filthy buses - I agree, but please realise that the driver does not walk along the bus in his break messing it up - that is done by the public.

Ignorant and Rude Drivers - You get what you give. When I started this job a year ago I was sure that courtesy to my customers would give me a peaceful time at my place of work believing that if I gave courtesy out I would get it back - not a chance - I've been spat at three times, swore at, abused, attacked, had my bus bricked etc etc - some passengers believe that because they pay a bus fare they can treat a driver as they want - I now give back what I get in attitude.

Fares - bus fares are too cheap - they should be considerably raised in order to give drivers a decent living - this would attract and keep drivers thereby avoid short staffing and missing services - of course this would benefit everyone.

Finally - thank you to all the passengers of first buses who are polite and decent to drivers and thank you to all who have supported us through the strike.

Paul

Low pay vs. no pay...

14.08.2004 12:46

This was a major inconvenience for me and people I know. Without a car in the household it was impossible to do almost anything... walking is fine but 6 miles into the City Centre is a bit much I think.

I believe I would have sacked them. I am not 100% of any union rules or whatever but I would suggest that what Ronald Reagan did to the Air Traffic Controllers is the way to proceed. Bus drivers actually sit on their arses all day - I hardly ever see people who are abusive to them if I am honest - maybe danger pay for late evening driving would be fair - but the daytime is pretty safe... they're all rude and miserable to begin with anyway. So, I say, sack the lot of them - they've lost any support they may have ever had. Yeah, sack 'em... bus drivers... can't we just get more of them from the Job Centre? It's not like they're knowledge workers or anything is it... they're just glorified taxi drivers!

FFBO