Bus drivers demonstrate to stop London’s buses racing to the bottom
4th August 2009
WHERE: Marble Arch, (call Peter Kavanagh on 07980 721 422 for
directions on the day)
WHEN: 11am, Wednesday, 5th August 2009
Bus drivers will get revealing tomorrow (Wednesday) about
London’s buses in a bid to highlight the pay mess ruining the
capital's essential public transport service.
Fed up with bus companies cutting pay and conditions to win
contracts, yet refusing to talk to their union about a way forward,
London’s bus drivers will make their concerns visible when they
gather in central London to unveil their boxer shorts declaring
"Stop the race to the bottom". The move comes as their union,
Unite, says it may take industrial action to win pay justice.
Unite argues that the huge disparity in wages, which can vary by
as much as £10,000 a year between companies, and variations in
other conditions of employment are leading to a damaging race to
the bottom in service provision where cut-throat practices win over
safeguarding employment standards when contracts are being
awarded.
Peter Kavanagh, Unite regional industrial organiser, said: “Our
slogan may be humorous, but the message is deadly serious. Our
members do identical jobs, drive the same buses, collect the same
fares, and all of their wages come from the same pot - Transport
for London. Yet their wages can vary by as much as £10,000 a year.
The lower payers are dragging everybody else down.
“The bosses, who have done very nicely out of the tendering
system, look like they are leaving us with no option other than to
ballot our members for industrial action.
“Boris Johnson last year described London’s bus drivers as the
world’s finest, yet he presides over a system where those employers
who pay the least, force their workers to work the longest working
hours, and provide no occupational pensions, canteen or other
facilities, are rewarded the most.
“This downward pressure hits standards for passengers and
workers alike which is why our members are not prepared to tolerate
such attacks on their livelihoods.”
Unite has submitted a claim to all London's bus operators for a
central pay bargaining mechanism as a means to streamline standards
and treat workers fairly. However, the mechanism has been flatly
rejected by all employers who have refused to even discuss the
matter with the union.
Unite has already conducted consultative ballots at a number of
companies over this year's pay round, and overwhelming strike votes
have been registered. If the employers fail to respond positively
to the central pay bargaining claim, Unite says there is a real
prospect of a London-wide ballot of all its 28,000 members across
all companies.
ENDS
For further information contact Peter Kavanagh on 07980 721 422
or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite Press Office on 020 7420 8914 or
07980 224761.
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