{"id":9998,"date":"2016-09-26T13:02:57","date_gmt":"2016-09-26T12:02:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=9998"},"modified":"2016-09-26T13:02:57","modified_gmt":"2016-09-26T12:02:57","slug":"cant-run-without-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=9998","title":{"rendered":"‘Can’t run without us’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Unite bus worker James Mitchell, speaking on the Transport report at the Labour Party Conference today (September 26), highlighted key measures in the government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Bus Services Bill which Labour must stand firm against and oppose.<\/p>\n

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Mitchell noted why these issues were of utmost importance \u00e2\u20ac\u201d simply put, nearly everyone uses buses.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBuses are the most frequently used and democratic form of public transport,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he told conference. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey are depended upon by all parts of society including the young and the elderly. They are the lifelines of our communities.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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He welcomed the fact that there is much to be lauded in the Bus Services Bill such as the Bill\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s attempt to \u00e2\u20ac\u015breregulate the bus market\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bFranchising would allow some local transport authorities to determine, for example, the frequency and standard of service and fares,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Mitchell noted.<\/p>\n

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But chief among bus workers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 concerns over the Bill is a clause that, he said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bwould ban councils in England from setting up new municipal bus companies.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThat clause should be removed and we welcome Labour\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s commitment to oppose it,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he argued.<\/p>\n

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Mitchell noted that he knows \u00e2\u20ac\u015bfirst-hand\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 as a bus worker the \u00e2\u20ac\u015bdisaster of privatisation and the deregulation of bus industry\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bPolls show a majority of the British public think local authorities should be allowed to set up new public bus companies,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bResearch finds we could save \u00c2\u0141506m a year by bringing buses outside London into public ownership.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Which is why, Mitchell argued, the clause banning local authorities from setting up their own bus companies should be removed.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf the government is genuinely interested in local authorities being able to meet local needs, municipalisation needs to be available to all local authorities,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

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Mitchell outlined other concerns bus workers had about the Bill, including the fact that trade unions are not included as statutory consulters as worker representatives.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnion density in the bus industry is among the highest in the economy,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bBus workers deserve to be represented as well as the bus passengers who have already been given statutory consultee status.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Mitchell also decried the fact that the Bill doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t appear to offer protection for new employees who are not covered by the TUPE and pension protections in the Bill.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis could lead to operators bidding for contracts driving down costs by cutting terms and conditions for future employees, with risks to future service delivery,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he explained.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnite members – and we represent 90,000 bus workers – have been in the forefront of trying to repair the damage caused by bus deregulation,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Mitchell noted.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe need Labour to be at the forefront of challenging any threats to bus services in the Buses Services Bill.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAnd we need a Labour Government to deliver a strong, integrated and sustainable transport strategy that recognises the importance of transport \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and the value of transport workers \u00e2\u20ac\u201c to society, to the economy and to the environment.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBecause – let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s make one thing clear,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Mitchell concluded. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis country can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t run without us!\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Watch Mitchell’s full speech below:<\/p>\n

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