One pay rate plea

As London’s bus companies rake in hundreds of millions—their directors comfortably resting atop a growing pile of cash—the drivers themselves are losing out in a system where pay rates vary wildly depending on the company.

 
Ahead of a 24-hour strike tomorrow (January 13), Unite has found that London’s 18 different operators raked in combined profits of more than £170m, with directors’ pay totalling over £7m.

 
This land of plenty stands in stark contrast to bus drivers’ pay, in which absurd £3-an-hour gaps exist among new starters, some of who drive the exact same routes. While passengers pay one fare, bus drivers face 80 different rates of pay.

 
More than just a strong mandate for the upcoming strike among bus drivers, whose efforts keep the capital running smoothly, support for one collective pay deal among passengers is overwhelming.

 
Two-thirds of London’s passengers agree that bus drivers should all be paid the same, according to a recent independent survey.

 
The survey, conducted by Mass1, found that 66 per cent of passengers who were asked the question, “Do you think all bus drivers should be paid the same?” responded yes with only 34 per cent responding no.

 
Unite regional officer Wayne King condemned mounting pay inequalities, both among bus drivers and between bus company heads and their workers.

 
“London’s bus operators have raked in millions in profits while driving down pay and refusing to tackle pay inequality on the capital’s buses,” King said. “As bus company directors enjoy lottery style salaries, bus drivers doing the same job on the same route are being pitted against one another on different rates of pay.”

 
An analysis of bus companies’ accounts found that each of the 18 bus operators reaped profits well into the millions, with top earning operator Go-Ahead Group raking in over £77m.

 
Directors’ remuneration reflected bus operators’ healthy profits, with four directors earning over half a million pounds a year, and the city’s top director earning more than £3.5m.

 
On the other hand, bus drivers hardly see any of the fruits of their labour. They face meagre earnings—between £17,000 and £25,000 a year on average—few prospects for earning much more even with decades of experience, as well as extremely stressful work conditions.

 
The single collective agreement Unite’s 27,000 London bus drivers seek would create fairer and better pay and conditions, much like tube drivers’ single pay deal, which translates to much higher, level wages and a united workforce with higher morale.

 
King added that strike action was the very last resort, but that bus operators’ refusal to even meet with Unite members has given them no other choice.

 
“Passengers sitting side by side on the same route expect to pay the same fare, so why shouldn’t drivers expect to be paid the same rate?” he argued. “The bus operators need to stop pleading poverty in defending pay inequality and collectively start negotiating about a fairer deal for London’s bus workers.”

 
Stay tuned on UNITElive as we report from the picket line tomorrow (January 13).