National Express West Midlands drivers vote to strike...

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National Express West Midlands drivers vote to strike...

Postby dutchman » Fri Mar 03, 2023 1:45 am

A bus network's drivers who cover routes across a swathe of the region have voted to strike over pay

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More than 3,000 National Express West Midlands drivers are set to walk out from 16 March after Unite members rejected an 11.1% pay rise, according to the union.

They will be joined by about 200 engineers, who voted to strike in January.

National Express West Midlands said the action was "extremely disappointing".

It apologised to customers for the significant disruption the industrial action would cause, with a "very limited service" running on strike days.

It runs 1,600 buses on routes across Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Walsall, Dudley and West Bromwich.

"The company needs to put forward an offer that our members can accept," said Unite officer Sulinder Singh.

About 96% of balloted drivers voted in favour of continuous strike action, some of whom earned £11.80 an hour, according to the union.

Unite argues the pay increase offered to drivers constitutes a real-terms pay cut amid cost-of-living pressures.

The announcement of strike action coincides with National Express reporting a tripling in annual pre-tax profits to £145.9m, up from £39.7m in 2021.

The results, which surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time since the Covid outbreak, have led to shares in the group soaring by 13%.

The operator said 60% of drivers had voted to strike based on an outdated pay offer of 8.1%, with an improved deal tipping the majority of salaries over £30,000.

"Since the ballot, we have offered the union a pay deal for drivers worth 13.4%, made up of 11.1% for 2023 and a retention payment worth 2.3%," a spokesperson said. "This is on top of 6% our drivers received in November."

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Re: National Express West Midlands drivers vote to strike...

Postby dutchman » Thu Mar 09, 2023 8:27 pm

Unite accuses National Express of 'union busting'

Unite has accused National Express of "union-busting bullying" ahead of a strike in the West Midlands.

It claimed the bus company had tried to both brow-beat members and mislead them about a wage offer, and had warned them of job cuts if the strike went ahead.

It also alleged members had been called into individual meetings and told they put the local community at risk.

National Express refuted the claims and accused Unite of trying "every trick in the book" to scare workers.

More than 3,000 drivers are due to begin strike action on 16 March in a dispute over pay.

The company runs 1,600 buses on routes across Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Walsall, Dudley and West Bromwich.

National Express had, according to Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, indulged in a "disgraceful campaign of bullying and union-busting" which had "only strengthened our members' determination to win a fair pay deal".

Among the union's claims were that text messages had been sent to workers' phones "demanding to know if they intend to strike and misleading them about the current wage offer", Ms Graham said.

Refuting the claims, a spokesperson for National Express West Midlands said the company had made a "very fair and decent offer of 13.4%, made up of 11.1% increase on the base rate and a no-strings upfront lump sum of £630 which works out at 2.3%".

Unite disputes the figures.

The company also said: "If you asked most people if they'd like that, they'd bite your hand off for it, and Unite won't even let our drivers vote on it."

Unite said its members had given a "very clear mandate" for the strike action and had made it clear what their minimum acceptable offer would be.

The drivers are set to be joined by about 200 National Express West Midlands engineers.

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Re: National Express West Midlands drivers vote to strike...

Postby dutchman » Mon Mar 13, 2023 9:28 pm

Commuters face weeks of disruption as bus drivers set to strike in Coventry

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Commuters face weeks of disruption as bus drivers are set to strike in Coventry. National Express confirmed that only three services will be running from Thursday (March 16).

National Express runs 93 per cent of services in the West Midlands, meaning strikes will cause huge disruption to commuters in the city. Almost the entire bus network will grind to a halt in a matter of days.

Over 3,000 bus drivers will be striking in a bitter dispute over pay. It is unclear how long strike action will last, with Unite leaders promising disruption every day until the dispute is resolved.

A limited 'Hospital Route Network' will run from Thursday, March 16 to Sunday, March 19. Commuters will be able to take the 9, 17 and 20A services to and from University Hospital Coventry.

Here are the services running from Thursday:

  • 9 | Green Lane: University Hospital (Via Coventry)
  • 17 | Fenside: University Hospital (Via Coventry)
  • 20A | Coventry: University Hospital (Via Foleshill Road and Bell Green)
National Express says they have offered bus drivers a pay rise of 13.4 per cent, made up of 11.1 per cent on the base rate backdated to January 2023 and a one-off payment of £630. Under this deal, around 75 per cent of drivers would earn more than £31,000, the company said.

Unite has accused National Express of 'sitting on mountains of cash' and called on the bus company to 'give a pay rise to its staff that reflects rocketing living costs.' Some drivers only earn £11.80 per hour, the union claimed.

Unite Regional Officer Sulinder Singh said: “National Express' greed is the reason why the entire West Midland's bus network will be shut down and it bears the responsibility for the disruption that will be caused. Our members do not want to strike but National Express has left them with no choice. The company needs to put forward an offer that our members can accept – it can clearly afford to.”

A spokesman for National Express Coventry said: “We are very sorry to our customers who will be inconvenienced by this strike. We are doing all we can to resolve it and by providing this Hospital Route Network, we are also doing all we can to keep the region moving.”

“Our drivers and engineers are hard-working people. They do a brilliant job and we are very proud of them; while we recognise this is a frustrating situation, we ask that you do not direct any frustration towards them as they continue to do their best. We are exploring what other services we can provide during the strike and will keep our customers updated on our website.”

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Re: National Express West Midlands drivers vote to strike...

Postby dutchman » Tue Mar 14, 2023 3:21 am

National Express strike called off in West Midlands

National Express staff in the West Midlands have suspended a planned strike due to take place on Thursday.

The Unite union said it was in response to an improved pay offer, which would now be put to members.

The union said more than 3,200 drivers and 200 engineers had been due to take part and strike action would resume on 20 March if the offer is rejected.

National Express West Midlands previously said the threat of action was "extremely disappointing".

Unite regional officer Sulinder Singh said: "Following significant progress with the company in negotiations, an improved pay offer was made."

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Re: National Express West Midlands drivers vote to strike...

Postby dutchman » Fri Mar 17, 2023 5:49 am

National Express strike back on as accusations fly

National Express drivers in the West Midlands are to go on strike on Monday.

The Unite union, which suspended action earlier in the week to allow members to vote on a new pay offer, took the decision after accusing the company of refusing to allow a workplace ballot.

National Express West Midlands said Unite was guilty of an "outrageous and calculating misrepresentation of what has happened".

It said drivers should be allowed a confidential ballot instead.

Unite members have previously voted in favour of strike action in the dispute over pay.

The union said it wanted the vote on the latest pay offer to take place in meetings at depots, although it said it was "likely to be rejected because it ties workers into a three-year pay deal".

It called this "an attack on union democracy".

Unite also said it was asked by National Express to endorse the deal, which it refused.

It said the company then demanded it remain neutral when the ballot was held.

Instead, Unite has recommended members reject the deal because it has "more strings attached than a grand piano".

National Express responded to say it had been calling for a vote on the pay offer for some time, but added: "We want our drivers to have a chance to make up their own minds on our improved offer."

It said had made it a three-year deal to add certainty, at Unite's request, while also including a promise to reopen negotiations if inflation rose beyond a set level in the future.

The company said the "real victims" of the strike would be people in the West Midlands who have their lives disrupted, and accused the union of being "scared of democracy".

It added: "We believe in a democratic process and support a confidential ballot."

The Unite union said it took the decision to hold workplace ballots at the request of members to "speed up the process".

Workplace ballots on industrial action are no longer legal, but the union said ballots on pay offers were not covered by that legislation and were still possible.

Some 3,100 staff are due to take part in the industrial action, which the union said would affect 93% of the West Midlands bus network.

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Re: National Express West Midlands drivers vote to strike...

Postby dutchman » Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:56 pm

Bus strike chaos awaits Coventry after drivers reject pay deal offer

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Daily bus strikes will go ahead as planned after National Express bus drivers refused a revised pay deal. The majority of services across Coventry and the West Midlands will be scrapped as a result.

A vote today over whether to accept new pay terms, which could have stopped industrial action from taking place, saw 71% of Unite's members vote it down. The refusal means the region will have a limited service "indefinitely" while strikes take place, with most of the buses running being on hospital routes.

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “National Express is an extremely wealthy company and makes considerable profits from the hard work of our members, who are not paid enough for the difficult and stressful job they do. The company must come back with an offer our members can accept.

“Unite’s top priority is defending and improving our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and National Express’ workforce have their union’s full support during these strikes.”

A spokesperson for National Express West Midlands said: "We are sorry for the disruption that this will cause across the West Midlands. Our advice to customers is not to try to travel on our buses unless you really need to.

"As the week goes on, we hope to add back in more services so please check our website for the latest information. We are working with our partners to minimise the impact of the disruption in any way we can and we are seeking to bring a speedy resolution to the strike."

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Re: National Express West Midlands drivers vote to strike...

Postby dutchman » Tue Mar 21, 2023 8:37 pm

The Telegraph is suggesting some buses including the 6, 14 and 18 are running normally but I've seen hardly on those routes the past two days? :roll:
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Re: National Express West Midlands drivers vote to strike...

Postby dutchman » Sat Mar 25, 2023 4:12 pm

Bus drivers vote to accept 16.2% pay deal

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Striking bus drivers in the West Midlands have voted in favour of accepting a 16.2% pay deal.

Services across hundreds of routes have been disrupted by the indefinite action by members of the Unite union since it began on Monday.

The strike was set to end from Sunday reducing bus services on the day, said National Express West Midlands.

The firm said it would operate services "as close to normal as possible" on Monday, the company said.

The walkout followed a pay row between the company and members of the union.

The bus firm, which normally carries 600,000 passengers a day across Birmingham, the Black Country, Coventry and into parts of Worcestershire, apologised for the significant disruption and inconvenience.

"We are pleased to be able to put this behind us and focus on delivering a bus service that customers can rely on," it said in a statement.

Unite said action by the workers had resulted in an "inflation beating" pay rise of 16.2%.

The union would "leave no stone unturned to defend workers' pay", said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.

More than 200 National Express engineers voted last week to accept a separate pay deal.

The bus company had also guaranteed to implement new terms and conditions, a key sticking point in the dispute, said the union.

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Re: National Express West Midlands drivers vote to strike...

Postby dutchman » Sat Mar 25, 2023 4:13 pm

The floodgates are now open! :roll:
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