Western Morning News (Saturday)
Bus company’s despair as pay offer refused
STAGECOACH South West has criticised the RMT union for its “fantasy pay demands” and threatening to disrupt vital bus links in Plymouth – a lifeline for communities and businesses.
Despite the ongoing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Stagecoach has offered the 118 bus drivers at the company’s Plymouth depot an 18 per cent increase in their basic hourly rate.
The rise would take bus drivers’ basic pay rate from £10 an hour to £11.80 per hour from October 1, with some productivity improvements, delivering a £75-a-week increase.
The new rate is also applicable to new start drivers following training to help offer a more attractive career route into the bus sector.
But the RMT, which has failed to put the offer to a full ballot of its members, informed Stagecoach that the union leadership has rejected the offer. Instead, the RMT has threatened to cause disruption to local bus services next month through industrial action. The strike will reportedly last for one day and industrial action is said to have been called as a request for more pay and nearly 700 people are expected to walk out in Devon on Monday, October 18.
Mike Watson, Managing Director of Stagecoach South West, said: “Local people and businesses will be outraged that the union has rejected such a substantial pay offer and is planning to damage their lives and livelihoods by disrupting critical transport links. Many of our employees support the offer we have made and are incensed by the stance of the RMT. Our employees absolutely deserve a pay rise for all their hard work throughout the pandemic, but the union needs a reality-check on what is affordable. Bus services across the country are facing a continuing challenging financial environment with passenger levels significantly down on pre-Covid levels. Bus passenger fares are significantly short of what is needed just to even cover the day-to-day costs of running services without government support.”
He added: “Despite this, we have worked tirelessly to protect the jobs of our people. The RMT has shown no interest in finding a sustainable solution and has not even bothered to put our offer of an extra £75 a week to a full ballot of its members. The RMT clearly does not have the real interests of its members at heart and its fantasy pay demands are obviously part of a wider political agenda.”
Earlier this month, union members working at Stagecoach in Devon had voted for industrial action as part of a national bus workers’ pay dispute.
RMT General Secretary Mick
Lynch said: “These massive votes for action by three more groups of Stagecoach workers in two key areas of the South West and Derbyshire reflect the growing anger amongst bus workers at being kicked in the teeth on pay while inflation and wages elsewhere are rising steeply.”
RMT regional organiser Barry West said: “I think the ballot demonstrates clearly that members are fed up with working for poor conditions and low rates.”