London bus strike

[Oldtimeram]

Is that Wat (Alto) Tyler leading the Peasants' Revolt? - view external link

[Djay66]

Ha! Day off

[Altobelli]

That link you put up Rammy covers most of it.


Got in just after 4:30am to see a good strong turn out at the picket line, about 35 of my colleagues blowing horn, waving signs and munching burgers and hotdogs from a barbeque under some makeshift tent, police car in attendance on the forecourt of Bus Garage with 2 scrawny female officers inside.


Management coming out every half hour giving high visibility vest to folk who didn't have them on the picket line, strange that as if you lose the one issued to you, you have to pay £5:00 for a replacement.


I stayed until 7:30, I couldn't feel my feet and I was p!ssed wet through, From the run out of bus' from 4am to 7:30 only 11 scabs took bus' out of the shed out of which 72 should have left, Management or Engineers drove 5 or 6 bus' out and away from the garage to be met by scabs probably too ashamed to show their faces who'd sneaked in the back way, things got out of hand when a couple of bus' came out with the usual Management @rse li

[Oldtimeram]

I have never been on strike. The one time there was a 1 day strike, it was my day off so it made no difference.

[Altobelli]

Some drivers on days off were their to support the strike Rammy, even drivers NOT in the Unite Union were their also.

Forgot to mention, Management came out about 6:30 saying there was a car on their property and it was blocking some bus' and if it wasn't moved it would be towed away, turns out it was one of the stupid scabs who had left it there, it was being towed away as I left at 7:30

[Oldtimeram]

Serves him right lol

[alfinyalcabo]

I did a ten weeks strike when my kids were only young.. I was on the picket line everyday and glad to say we didn't have one scab pass through the line..

Was it worth it ? Yes it was .. Within a year we had nearly doubled our wages thank to the ACAS board and bonuses .

[Altobelli]

Unions are not as strong as they used to be, which is a shame Alf.

I can remember when you used to have a 2 man crew with a driver and conductor, London Transport at the time wanted to do away with conductors for one man crews which we now have, drivers wanted extra money for doing double the work, Unions backed off this saying we was asking for too much, I may be wrong but I think the driver ended up getting only a 2% rise, which was the start of bus drivers losing ground on Tube Drivers who now earn over £40,000 a year (which is a good 44% more a year than bus drivers) with plenty of benefits and good holiday periods.

[gaz1959]

Nice one Alto and good post Rammer



Over the years I have been a

Union:-
Rep
Welfare Officer
H&S Officer

I knew when I was nominated 14yrs ago that the Unions weren't what they were but I have seen the heart of Unison ebb away over the years

There are monthly meetings with management which are a good forum but the buck passing if reet annoying
They moved the meeting venue 40 miles from my home, I refused to go on principles of the environment; wasted time; wasted money. I said you have the facility to video conference and it should be done that way. There was a vote via email 2yrs ago

No buses tomorrow anyroad if we get the white stuff (no not cocaine) as forecast

Well done