Bus pay justice plea

Oxford Bus Company is set to become the UK’s meanest bus company this Christmas, after ‘Scrooge’ bosses refused to pay drivers extra for working on two bank holidays over the festive season.

Unite said that the company, part of the highly profitable Go Ahead Group, was refusing to pay its 350 drivers and other employees extra for working on Tuesday December 27 and Monday January 2 – despite the fact that they are legally recognised bank holidays.

Unite said that individual drivers were set to lose a £100-a-day, depending on the length of shifts. The drivers don’t have the opportunity of not working on December 27 or January 2 as the company has declared they are normal working days.

Unite regional officer Marie Hall said, “The company is digging in its heels over recognising December 27 and January 2 as bank holidays, even though Unite has had it confirmed by our solicitors that they are official bank holidays.

Mantle of Scrooge

“Company managing director Phil Southall is firm favourite to be the meanest boss in Oxfordshire with his hard-hearted attitude. The mantle of Scrooge rests easily on his shoulders.

“Our members are set to lose about £100-a-day which they can ill-afford to forego at this expensive time of year, yet the parent company, the Go Ahead Group chalked up nearly £100 million in profit for the year up to July 2016.

“In the past, Oxford Bus Company has recognised and paid the bank holidays, however, it is now saying that the needs of the business mean that it is treating 27 December and 2 January as normal working days.

“Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day are the only days that the firm is recognising over the holiday period. This means that members will be working under duress because we have lodged a ‘failure to agree’ over the company’s stance.

“The other tactic the management has used is to delay posting the Christmas duties until the very last minute which did not allow us to react by carrying out an independent industrial ballot organised by the Electoral Reform Society.

“We believe this is all about that extra dollop of greed and making even more profit for the Go Ahead Group and its shareholders.

“This cruel and unnecessary edict to deny holiday pay to the Oxford bus drivers should be withdrawn immediately.”