Public bus firms everywhere call

Unite delegate and bus worker Taj Salam took to the rostrum, speaking on the bus services Bill.

He told the conference, “Buses are the most frequently used and most democratic form of public transport. They are the lifelines of our communities.

“The bus services Bill attempts to reregulate the bus market which is welcome.

“Franchising would allow some local transport authorities to determine, for example, the frequency and standard of service and fares.

“But we have concerns,” he warned.

As a bus worker Salam knew first-hand, “the disaster of privatisation and deregulation in the bus industry.”

He reported that recent polls showed a majority of the public think local authorities should be allowed to set up new public bus companies.

Research from Transport for Quality of Life believes ÂŁ506m a year could be saved by bringing buses outside London into public ownership.

But, he added, the bus services Bill includes a clause that would ban councils in England from setting up new municipal bus companies.

“That clause should be removed,” he said.

“If the government is genuinely interested in local authorities being able to meet local needs municipalisation needs to be available to all local authorities.

“And there are other changes concerning bus workers that should be made to the Bill,” he warned.

He called for trade unions to be included as statutory consultees as worker representatives.

“Union density in the bus industry is amongst the highest in the economy. Bus workers deserve to be represented as well as the bus passenger representatives who have already been given statutory consultee status.”

He expressed concern as the Bill does not appear to offer protection for new employees who are not covered by the TUPE and pension protections in the Bill.

He feared, “This could lead to operators bidding for contracts driving down costs by cutting terms and conditions for future employees, with risks to future service delivery.

“The government should regulate to protect minimum terms and conditions and pension standards for new employees who are not covered by TUPE.”

Salam said Unite’s 90,000 bus workers have been in the forefront of trying to repair the damage caused by bus deregulation.

“And we will be at the forefront of challenging any threats to bus services in the buses services Bill,” he pledged.

The composite was carried.