Topic: The Arriva Bus Strikes.

[oldfordie]

So Arriva is making a decent profit therefore the drivers should get a pay rise? So when profits are down do you support cutting their pay? Didn’t think so.

Why would anyone need to take a pay cut just because profits are down. I assume you mean when the company starts losing money. many workers take cuts to their wages and changes to their work practices to get the company out of the s..and these issues are also decided during wage negotiations. wage negotiations aren't all about what the workers want, sometimes their about what the management need to help the company survive, workers will take a cut and work harder if their jobs under threat so yeah they will take a cut as long as they know it's a cut or the dole.

[only6times]

Ooooh 23 grand a year. Whoop de fuckin doo!!! Take your tax and National insurance out. Three kids and a mortgage to sort. Piece of piss to live on that eh lads. Race to the bottom indeed.

[Graeme]

Fully qualified nurse after 3 years at Uni and tens of thousands in debt to get there starts on £21k and their job is far more skilled with far more responsibility.

[AndyMuller]

Ooooh 23 grand a year. Whoop de fuckin doo!!! Take your tax and National insurance out. Three kids and a mortgage to sort. Piece of piss to live on that eh lads. Race to the bottom indeed.

Say that to someone unemployed and on benefits, or a nurse in debt after qualifying or generally anyone in a hard job on a shit wage.

[only6times]

Fully qualified nurse after 3 years at Uni and tens of thousands in debt to get there starts on £21k and their job is far more skilled with far more responsibility.

My  2 daughters are both qualified nurses. Their money is shite. So because Governments continue to cack on them other workers should not get better wages? Some logic that. Do you earn more than a newly qualified nurse?

[only6times]

Say that to someone unemployed and on benefits, or a nurse in debt after qualifying or generally anyone in a hard job on a shit wage.

See my post. Same question to you.

[AndyMuller]

See my post below. Same question to you.

I'm on the dole for the first time since working since I left school and I'd jump at 23k a year for being a bus driver.

[only6times]

Say that to someone unemployed and on benefits, or a nurse in debt after qualifying or generally anyone in a hard job on a shit wage.

Lad. I cleaned buses on permanent nights for buttons whilst my daughter's were toddlers. Don't try all that cack on me.

[AndyMuller]

Lad. I cleaned buses on permanent nights for buttons whilst my daughter's were toddlers. Don't try all that cack on me.

I worked nights and other shifts at Jag and was on less wages than 23k so what's your point?

Matter of fact, I've never seen 23k a year in my working life yet.

[only6times]

I'm on the dole for the first time since working since I left school and I'd jump at 23k a year for being a bus driver.

What we're you earning? I've was made redundant in December after 21 years in one place but have been lucky to get decent money elsewhere. More than my daughter's get. Arrivals do courses for licenses. I had a look. Have a look online.

[AndyMuller]

What we're you earning? I've was made redundant in December after 21 years in one place but have been lucky to get decent money elsewhere. More than my daughter's get. Arrivals do courses for licenses. I had a look. Have a look online.

In my last job I was working my wage was £16k a year in a pensions call centre dealing with the general public who constantly gave me shit over as little as 1p and crazy targets. It led me to have a mental breakdown and become suicidal and leave that job.

The highest earning job I've been in was at Jag and that was 20k with crazy shifts to adhere to and was unfortunately let go due to a head count after nearly 10 months there without putting a foot wrong.

Will do mate, I'll have a look nice one 

[only6times]

I worked nights and other shifts at Jag and was on less wages than 23k so what's your point?

Matter of fact, I've never seen 23k a year in my working life yet.

You raised the point of unemployment and nurses. I responded. So nights in Jaguar never got you 23k but because of that you don't think Arriva drivers should ask for more? Working class turning on each other whilst the bosses who pay cack wages get a walk over.

[only6times]

In my last job I was working my wage was £16k a year in a pensions call centre dealing with the general public who constantly gave me shit over as little as 1p and crazy targets. It led me to have a mental breakdown and become suicidal and leave that job.

The highest earning job I've been in was at Jag and that was 20k with crazy shifts to adhere to and was unfortunately let go due to a head count after nearly 10 months there without putting a foot wrong.

Will do mate, I'll have a look nice one 

Sorry for your troubles lad. Had that in my life too. My point is that it is a race to the bottom. They want you bickering at each other. You got any fork lift licenses?

[only6times]

Fully qualified nurse after 3 years at Uni and tens of thousands in debt to get there starts on £21k and their job is far more skilled with far more responsibility.

What you earning?

[AndyMuller]

Sorry for your troubles lad. Had that in my life too. My point is that it is a race to the bottom. They want you bickering at each other. You got any fork lift licenses?

It's sound mate no worries sorry you had the same troubles yourself.

Yeah I do understand it is race to the bottom and the fat cat bosses always get away with everything.

I'm just a bit down with being unemployed and would love to earn 23k so sorry for taking out my frustrations in here and any bus drivers in here 

Unfortunately not mate working in Jag was my first experience in a factory and I was on the production line so never had a chance for FLT license or anything like that.

[only6times]

It's sound mate no worries sorry you had the same troubles yourself.

Yeah I do understand it is race to the bottom and the fat cat bosses always get away with everything.

I'm just a bit down with being unemployed and would love to earn 23k so sorry for taking out my frustrations in here and any bus drivers in here 

Unfortunately not mate working in Jag was my first experience in a factory and I was on the production line so never had a chance for FLT license or anything like that.

No worries lad. Pm'd you

[Graeme]

What you earning?

Not really relevant to the discussion is it? I work in the Public Sector but when they went on strike in 2014 I didn't join in because quite frankly I felt I was on a salary representative of the skills and experience necessary to do the job. I'm all for industrial action when the workforce is being hard done to, but the Arriva drivers have had a far better pay offer than most people in the country for a job which for me is already reasonably remunerated.

[Elzar]

I can see both sides of the argument in here. Hope they bin arriva off after all this though.

[only6times]

Not really relevant to the discussion is it? I work in the Public Sector but when they went on strike in 2014 I didn't join in because quite frankly I felt I was on a salary representative of the skills and experience necessary to do the job. I'm all for industrial action when the workforce is being hard done to, but the Arriva drivers have had a far better pay offer than most people in the country for a job which for me is already reasonably remunerated.

Urgh!!

[only6times]

Not really relevant to the discussion is it?

Why did YOU bring nurses into it then?

[oldfordie]

I worked nights and other shifts at Jag and was on less wages than 23k so what's your point?

Matter of fact, I've never seen 23k a year in my working life yet.

How long ago was this? did you work for Jag, I retired from Jag 13 yrs and my wages were somewhere around 20k-23k then. it's actually irrelevant though. we shouldn't be arguing I dont get paid this and so they shouldn't get paid it either. that is the definition of a race to the bottom,we should be arguing they get paid it and therefore so should I.  thats assuming the company can afford to pay the wages of course. it's not all about how hard you work, it's whether the company is making massive profits.
Thats why i say if Arriva are making big profits they should  either drop fares or pay their workers more.

[Graeme]

Why did YOU bring nurses into it then?

Because they are an example of a profession that are underpaid when you consider the skills and experience required. Arriva drivers aren’t.

[rob1966]

I'm on the dole for the first time since working since I left school and I'd jump at 23k a year for being a bus driver.

Then go and do it. Its about £3k for the medicals, theory, training and tests. My Dad did it when he got made redundant.

I did my HGV Class 2 and 1 in 2006, again for about £3k and got work with the agencies dead easily. Long hours but you can earn anything from £20 to £40k depending on the job.

How long ago was this? did you work for Jag, I retired from Jag 13 yrs and my wages were somewhere around 20k-23k then. it's actually irrelevant though. we shouldn't be arguing I dont get paid this and so they shouldn't get paid it either. that is the definition of a race to the bottom,we should be arguing they get paid it and therefore so should I.  thats assuming the company can afford to pay the wages of course. it's not all about how hard you work, it's whether the company is making massive profits.
Thats why i say if Arriva are making big profits they should  either drop fares or pay their workers more.

Companies seem to forget that its the workers who make them the massive profits.

[only6times]

Because they are an example of a profession that are underpaid when you consider the skills and experience required. Arriva drivers aren’t.

So what do you think they should earn?

[Graeme]

So what do you think they should earn?

They’ve been made a more than generous pay offer.

[only6times]

They’ve been made a more than generous pay offer.

Haha. Politician you.

[Red Viper]

They’ve been made a more than generous pay offer.

3% on £23k is an extra £57.50 a month before Tax and NI, so probably working out about an extra £30 a month in their pocket.

Wow, so generous.

[oldfordie]

Companies seem to forget that its the workers who make them the massive profits.

That is the crucial point, are Arriva making big profits at the expense of commuters and drivers.
Am not saying every company who make big profits should pay big wages to their workers, smaller companies may need the money to reinvest and grow. it's the big muliti national companies who need to pay their workers more if they can afford it. the other option is to reduce fares.
I wont judge Arriva strikers. they know the ins and outs of their pay claim far more than I do and I don't believe they've resorted to a long list of strike days if they didn't believe they have a sound argument.

[Fiasco]

3% on £23k is an extra £57.50 a month before Tax and NI, so probably working out about an extra £30 a month in their pocket.

Wow, so generous.

Indeed, while the MD of Arriva gets a 1 percent rise on his 250k a year salary. Without bonuses. And he says the drivers should be grateful for their offer.

[Medellin]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42096806

Have a blimp at that & see if it changes or reinforces your views.

[AlphaDelta]

They union have moved a strike to coincide with the derby on the Sunday.

[It's Jimmy Corkhill]

They union have moved a strike to coincide with the derby on the Sunday.

Good. They need to make it as awkward as possible to show their worth otherwise it won't affect the company.

[Jack the Red]

They union have moved a strike to coincide with the derby on the Sunday.

They haven't. Arriva issued a statement saying they had, and the Echo reported it, but the union have refuted it. Sneaky tactics from the company trying to get the public against the drivers. The union have to give 14 days notice of strike action, so they wouldn't be able to do it even if they wanted to.

[AlphaDelta]

They haven't. Arriva issued a statement saying they had, and the Echo reported it, but the union have refuted it. Sneaky tactics from the company trying to get the public against the drivers. The union have to give 14 days notice of strike action, so they wouldn't be able to do it even if they wanted to.

Fair play. Sneaky tactics by the company and that Echo is going worse, it nearly worked as well because there was uproar online from the public yesterday.

[Jack the Red]

Fair play. Sneaky tactics by the company and that Echo is going worse, it nearly worked as well because there was uproar online from the public yesterday.

Yeah the Echo is terrible these days. I was reading some of the comments on Facebook, shocking some of them.

[Graeme]

I’ll tell you what I don’t get. Echo reports that the difference between the last offer and the drivers demands is 2p per hour.

Now when you’re on strike, you don’t get paid. Let’s say they’re on £23k a year for 40 hours per week over 5 days. When you break it down that’s equivalent to £11.06 per hour or £88.46 per shift. Each day that they strike over 2p, if they get the 2p they want then it will take each driver 553 hours to make back what they lost on every day they go on strike.

I appreciate my numbers of hours and days worked are ball park figured and don’t take into account any separate pay rates for weekend work etc but I’m not far off.

[rob1966]

I’ll tell you what I don’t get. Echo reports that the difference between the last offer and the drivers demands is 2p per hour.

Now when you’re on strike, you don’t get paid. Let’s say they’re on £23k a year for 40 hours per week over 5 days. When you break it down that’s equivalent to £11.06 per hour or £88.46 per shift. Each day that they strike over 2p, if they get the 2p they want then it will take each driver 553 hours to make back what they lost on every day they go on strike.

I appreciate my numbers of hours and days worked are ball park figured and don’t take into account any separate pay rates for weekend work etc but I’m not far off.

Some of the shifts involve a split 12 hour shift, where they work 4 hours on, 4 hours off (unpaid) and then another 4 hours on. So, as one driver says,unless you live close to the depot, you are in work for 12 hours. Drivers also complain of long days, late finishes and then early starts the next day

https://www.indeed.co.uk/cmp/Arriva/reviews?start=20

[John_P]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/arriva-bus-strikes-cancelled-drivers-14030571#ICID=FB-Liv-main

Drivers have accepted the offer so all the future strikes are now cancelled.

[AlphaDelta]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/arriva-bus-strikes-cancelled-drivers-14030571#ICID=FB-Liv-main

Drivers have accepted the offer so all the future strikes are now cancelled.

Well in to the drivers for sticking to their guns.