First Bus sell-off announced

Unite, ‘won’t tolerate a single job loss’ at First Bus, as the parent company FirstGroup announced today (May 30) that it intended to sell-off its bus operations in the UK.

Unite has about 15,000 members working for First Bus, one of the UK’s largest bus operators.

“I want to make it crystal clear that Unite won’t tolerate one single job loss or any attack on our members’ terms and conditions as a result of this sell-off process,” said Unite national officer for passenger transport Bobby Morton.

“On one hand, FirstGroup has praised staff for their hard work and commitment and then, in the next breath, it announces it is selling off First Bus because of so-called ‘limited synergies’ between the parent company and the bus operations.

“This is a slap in the face to the dedication that our members show on a daily basis in all the weathers that the British climate can throw at them,” he added.

“If any potential buyer for any of First Bus’ operations in the UK thinks that there are rich and short-term easy pickings at our members’ expense, they will need to think again.

“We regard bus services as a public service for the travelling public and not a vehicle for heavyweight corporates to squeeze the last ounce of profit from bus services.”

Unite will be holding a meeting of its First Bus reps from across the UK in London on June 11, when First Bus executives will be in attendance.