Off the buses: ‘Mass exodus’ of drivers over ‘poor working conditions’

SCORES of drivers have walked away from city bus firm Xplore Dundee over “poor working conditions”, it has been claimed.

Dundee passengers are currently facing a reduced level of service in the city amid a lack of drivers on key routes.

Xplore Dundee managers say they are facing the same challenges as other UK bus and transport companies dealing with the pandemic’s effect on their workforce.

But sources close to drivers in the city claim growing tensions between management and workers at the company have exacerbated shortages – with passengers ultimately paying the price.

Sources claim at least 50 drivers have left the company over a range of issues including changes to working patterns, which one former driver described as “exhausting”.

The company maintains it has the right number of drivers “for current service levels”.

Managers put recent delays and cancellations down to “disruption due to Covid isolations and high levels of absenteeism”.

But sources close to the drivers did not agree, one saying: “Most left to go to other jobs.

“Covid-19 had no bearing on suspending services. It’s purely down to folk leaving the poor working conditions.”

Drivers’ new terms and conditions call for “improved flexibility” from staff, in part to “stop excessive waste” and “increase efficiency”.

A document outlining the changes also states the change is required to “improve schedules for drivers”.

One source described how this worked in practice for them.

They said: “The shifts became longer and much more split shifts, sometimes with nearly three-hour breaks. I lived outwith Dundee so including commute time I could be out of the house for 15 hours.”

The source also described how a change to days off meant they were working for seven days in a row at times.

The bus company has said instead that the changes led to better work-life balance for staff.

Xplore Dundee is working with Dundee City Council to provide free driver training and a guaranteed interview in an attempt to fill vacancies.

Greenock-based McGill’s Buses bought Xplore Dundee from National Express in December 2020.

The new owners changed working conditions earlier this year.

Workers initially rejected the deal, but later agreed to it after managers made tweaks, sources said.

Aside from the “improved flexibility”, other changes to working conditions included with sick pay and no extra pay rates during overtime.

Staff only now get the company sick pay benefit from the fourth day off because of a “misuse” by a “minority” of workers, according to official documents.

Statutory sick pay still applies for the first three days to “provide some cover when truly needed”.

Managers have also stripped drivers of an extra day off due to the “extraordinarily high costs to the business”, the terms and conditions state.

Managers previously gave the time back in return for the irregular nature of bus driver work patterns.

Bosses also deferred a previously agreed pay rise until January 2022.

Dozens of drivers began leaving Xplore Dundee in the aftermath of the deal.

One described the “mass exodus” as seeing between four and six drivers quit each week during April and May while the country was still dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The source said the numbers quitting tapered off to about two or three a week later in the year.

Ralph Roberts, CEO of McGill’s Buses, said: “There is a postpandemic UK-wide driver shortage. This is a fact and has nothing to do with Dundee.

“However, Xplore Dundee is not short of drivers for the current service levels. Rather, there has been disruption due to Covid isolations and high levels of absenteeism.

“Current staff numbers are correct for the mileage operated, but we want to grow the business back to pre-pandemic levels over time so we will be recruiting to do that.

“We are operating 90% of our pre-pandemic mileage but are carrying 75% of pre-pandemic

passengers. We could adjust mileage down to suit footfall levels but have chosen instead to maintain the Dundee bus network so that there is a comprehensive network of services for the people of the city.

“McGill’s is a stable company that runs quality bus services and we have a progressive plan for the bus services of Dundee.

“A tangible sign of that will be the new electric buses that we have bought and go into service in December.

“There were some minor changes to working practices earlier in 2021 and these were unanimously accepted by the workforce.

“These changes included shifts that gave a better work-life balance and now more than 50% of the workforce benefit from a four-day week.”

CEO Ralph Roberts, left, has dismissed claims.