Report on TGWU’s First South Yorkshire pay dispute as we enter Day 4 of our all out strikee-mail messages of solidarity to: martin@tgw910.fsnet.co.uk Today is day 4 of our all-out strike on First South Yorkshire Buses, following an 88.1% vote for industrial action over pay and conditions. In order to avoid the dispute, the Company tabled a two-year offer which was balloted on by the drivers on Thursday 15th July. This was rejected by 878 votes to 165, making the strike, which started on Tuesday 22nd July inevitable. There are many issues around pay and conditions which are upsetting the drivers at First South Yorkshire, a subsidiary of the UK-based multinational First plc. Certainly the drivers are looking for a proper pay rise without strings. The structure of pay grades is still a major bone of contention. Pay rates were depressed in the early days of deregulation in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, and lower starter rates of pay were introduced in the face of low cost competition from other bus operators on our routes. A lot of progress has been made in recent years to improve the pay structure, especially in 2003 when a three-day strike finally set a formula for ensuring that all drivers would once more achieve “Senior Rate” by April 2006. Until 3 years ago, the Company had insisted that no starter driver would ever go onto Senior Rate, a postion that had held since 1988, and even today all drivers with 15 years service or less remain on the lower “Established Rate”. However the 2003 pay settlement ensures that Established Rate will increase each year by approximately 20p per hour more than Senior rate, so that it equates to Senior Rate in April 2006. At that date, the service required on the “G2” rate (starter rate) - yes there are three rates of pay for doing the same job! - to reach Established Rate will reduce to 2 years and 6 months. From that date, there will only be two rates of pay (G2 and Senior) and all drivers will achieve Senior Rate after 2 years and 6 months. From April 2007 that will fall to 2 years. The problems in this year’s pay round are many. Firstly attempts to put the structure of pay right in previous settlements have left drivers on Senior Rate with past pay rises of little above inflation and patience is now running out. At £7.53p per hour this means the top rate for the job is barely £15000 pa even for long serving drivers with experience. This is shift work and there are no premium payments for overtime or weekend working etc. Now that all drivers are either on this rate already or can get to this rate shortly, every one agrees that a proper rise for Senior Rate is necessary this year. Whatever rise Senior Rate gets, Established Rate must get, otherwise we break the formula for merging Established rate with Senior rate in April 2006. Established Rate stands at £7.13p at present ( 2 more annual increments of 20p “escalator” payments to go!) The real headache is the “G2” rate which is appallingly low at £5.85p per hour. Believe it or not, we had at one time 3 different starter rates which you had to progress through for 5 years before hitting Established Rate. From April 2004, drivers must stay on this rate for 3 years 6 months before moving to Established rate. This service requirement is reducing by 6 months each year and will reduce to 2 years and 6 months in April 2006. Drivers on this rate of pay are really struggling to make ends meet and yet do exactly the same work as drivers on £7.53 per hour. Many qualify for substantial Family Credit payments so are in fact subsidised by the general taxpayer to work for a highly profitable transport multinational company. First South Yorkshire makes substantial annual profit running into millions of pounds but achieving its profit target set by First’s bosses in Aberdeeen has greater priority than addressing the poverty pay of its newest recruits. In recent years, First South Yorkshire has experienced a growing staff shortage, mainly because it cannot recruit and retain drivers at such low rates of pay. The economy here has picked up now and there is no longer this huge pool of unemployed workers seeking jobs at any price. Who wants to work shifts for £5.85 per hour and put up with the threat of assault, and being spat at by kids? The Company has lost mileage due to staff shortage and is even prepared to shrink the business to more closely match the staffing levels. Incredibly they would rather reduce frequencies on some highly profitable services, rather than make the necessary improvements in pay to man up the job. Next week there is a major service revision in Sheffield which will see well over 20 jobs go ( in effect reducing a staff shortage of around 50 to around 30). The trade union is shocked that one of the cutbacks is on the highly profitable route 41 which will have its frequency cut from 6 minutes to 7 and a half. If all this wasn’t enough we want to do something to improve our hours of work and guarenteed working week. In this day and age a 39 hour week (which can be rostered up to 41 hours over 5 days) seems unattractive compared to many in industry working a 37 or even 35 hour week. What’s more, flexible rostering can mean duties as long as 8hrs and 50 minutes in Sheffield, not including a 60 minute unpaid relief. Perhaps the biggest gripe is the maximum spell of work without a break which we are trying to get down to 4 hours and 30 minutes. Currently there are duties where spells of work exceed 5 hours. We believe that shorter duties and a reduced working week, plus improvements in pay at the lower end are key to resolving the staff shortage. The strike here at First South Yorkshire has been totally solid and our members are determined to stick it out and achieve a fair settlement. At Sheffield garage there have been pickets outside 24 hours a day, and up to a hundred or so drivers have gathered on the paved area outside the garage. The atmosphere has been good humoured and well-behaved throughout. There has been no attempt by the Company to break the strike with scab labour, unlike in other parts of the country in past years. We have been in protracted talks with the Company since day two of the strike to resolve the dispute and there are further talks due today (Friday). However there remains a major gap between what the Trade Union is prepared to recommend to the workforce and what the Company will offer, although there has been progress. We are trying to get it resolved, but not at any price. Our members are showing a remarkable determination to force a breakthrough this year, no matter how long it takes. We are very grateful for the many messages of support we have received from bus branches in the UK and from around the world. We have printed them off and bound them together in a book to pass around at the picket line. Our members have been particularly impressed at messages from USA unions. Your solidarity is much appreciated. Martin Mayer |