Bus Strike

[wangi]

[Poppy]

I'm told the wildcat strike is now over!

[Poppy]

And now Mr Poppy's Ma has reported that

[Cynthia]

I was a bit sorry to read some of the earlier criticisms of the bus drivers dispute - I for one totally back their fight for better pay and conditions, as I would for any workers, and have been along to their picket line at Seafield to show support. And yes I am dependent on Lothian Buses to get me to work....but it was about far more than the salary - please read this article for another view - I declare in advance it is from Socialist Worker, but it does put another perspective on things - often the mainstream media only tells us what the bosses who own these papers want us to read....read on please. This is from last week's paper and I am aware a deal is on the table, although not guaranteed to be accepted ofcourse, but I wanted to try to add another view to this ..... I too love the quiet when the buses aren't running, but also the quiet on Christmas day when hardly anything including the hundreds of cars going past my window, are resting for once!
from

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/articl ... le_id=7001

Bus workers fight for decent pay and against long hours
by Raphie de Santos

LOTHIAN REGION bus workers were set to strike for two days this weekend following their first strike earlier this month.

After nearly four months of negotiations bus drivers finally lost patience with the council, which is the employer.

On Monday 18 July, they held a 24-hour strike which T&G union branch chair Peter Williamson said had 100 percent support across the region.

This was followed by a ban on overtime for the duration of the dispute, which means that the council will have to introduce a Saturday service during the normal Monday to Friday working week.

Every year around 20 percent of drivers leave because pay is so poor that the only way to make a living is to work masses of overtime.

A current standard working week of 39 hours brings a salary of £15,800.

However, the dispute is really about the council trying to impose new conditions on the entire workforce.

The council has offered a 5 percent wage increase with strings attached.

The T&G wants just over 6.1 percent with no strings attached. The strings that the council have attached are to do with the introduction of more single decker buses.

Currently existing double decker drivers are allowed to work a maximum of 4.5 hours without a break.

A newly recruited single decker bus driver can work a maximum of 5.5 hours without a break.

They want to impose the conditions for single decker drivers on all the region's bus drivers for both existing double decker and new single decker drivers.

So instead of needing five drivers to cover one bus shift, the region will only need to have two or three.

[Hiboz]

[Pal of Porty]

[Dadaist]

[Sandra]

[Pal of Porty]

[Epykat]

[Porty]