Talk to us please

Ahead of tomorrow’s London bus strike we publish a letter from Unite member Laurie Carrigan. Mr Carrigan, a Go-Ahead London bus driver has written to his firm’s managing director about why Unite members are having to take strike action.

The most important issue amongst the vast number of drivers on the picket lines at garages during the first strike was the unfair starter rates of pay and conditions, not just at Go-Ahead but at all London bus companies.

Why do we have to wait five/six/seven years before we can earn a decent salary for doing exactly the same job as other colleagues?

Why, if I have to leave Go-Ahead for whatever reason, and then join another company doing exactly the same job as before, does my experience as a fully qualified bus driver of five years count for nothing and I have to stay on a lower rate of pay for another five years? Why, if an Arriva driver of say 10 years decides to leave his position and join Go-Ahead, does his/her previous experience count for nothing and they are forced to start on a lower rate for another five years?

In what other industry does someone with such experience at their role, at their trade, have to start on such a lower rate of pay for such a long period of time, than others doing the exact same job as them? Do you think someone with one year’s experience of driving buses in London is a less capable driver than someone with say eight years?

Surely once we pass the company’s six-month probation period we have proven we are good enough for the job and therefore just as entitled to the same rate of pay as other drivers doing the exact same job?

Fair enough, drivers who have been at a garage for a length of time can start expecting other perks; greater holiday entitlement, priority in being awarded more available overtime, but ÂŁ3/ÂŁ4 an hour difference in pay is really not on.

Is it that you actually want a revolving door of drivers on low pay and poor conditions? Why is the turnover of staff so great within the London Bus industry? Are you are avoiding these talks because the status quo of the revolving door policy of drivers on low pay has to continue from a business point of view?

You will probably respond by saying that the Unite union failed to bring this up in your own individual Go-ahead pay talks, but then we all know in recent years they have been forced to accept each different companies mantra of ‘having to compete’.

Meaningful discussions plea

This is exactly why the union is trying to get all the companies together for talks. We are all sick of this competition on our wages, terms and conditions and we want to see meaningful discussions for a fairer way forward, not letters scaring hard-up drivers about losing a day’s pay. Your refusal to even acknowledge the vast majority of drivers’ frustrations in this dispute is very frustrating.

The competition you talk of having to protect is heavily stacked in the employers favour and, rather than a competition amongst companies trying to attract the best drivers, the only competition is in fact who can pay their drivers the least and squeeze their conditions the most.

The only way I see us drivers being able to stop this race to the bottom is to force you and the other companies and TFL around the table to agree a fairer way forward, talks all the companies and TFL have sadly so far refused to even consider. What is illegal about talking about a fairer system with TFL and the other companies?

You and the other company bosses all agreeing with each other not to talk will unfortunately lead to the majority of drivers, who all want a fairer future, with no choice but to take part in further strike action in February.