Support the striking Aberdeen bus drivers
By a Socialist Party Scotland reporter
Aberdeen bus drivers are striking against draconian cuts to their wages and conditions by employer, First Bus. After a huge 97% rejection of the proposed changes, a ballot saw around 95% support for strike action.
Two 24 hour strikes have now been completed with a further two days of strike action this week (Wednesday and Friday).
A seven day strike is due to begin on Monday 25thMarch in the run up to the day the new contracts are supposed to be signed.
Unite represents the hundreds of drivers involved in the action and the attacks on drivers wages are devastating. Drivers who have up to one year’s service could be paid £9.50 an hour while those who have been working for more than four years would get £10.85.
Paid breaks would be scraped, with drivers being offered a maximum of two that would be unpaid.
Drivers could also be on the road for up to ten hours each day while holiday entitlement would also be reduced.
Mike Flinn, Unite convener, explained: “First are cutting into drivers’ wages to achieve more profit. Drivers who are earning £25,000 are going to jump down as low as £19,000.
“They have rent and mortgages to pay and this cuts into it. “How are they going to afford to pay their bills, or feed and clothe their kids?”
Striking workers spoke to Socialist Party Scotland members on their 90-strong picket line on Monday this week: “The strike is having a big impact and is massively supported. First Group have brought up staff from other parts of the UK to scab during our strike. Managers, including the managing director, are also driving buses. But it’s clear that they don’t know the routes.
“Bus timetables have been hugely affected with buses reduced to an hourly service. Also two and three buses are running in a convoy and many more buses are in the depot than are out on the city routes.”
“The buses are running hourly, and two or three are coming together. We’ve had a great turnout and we’ve got great support from the public.”
First Aberdeen managing director Andrew Jarvis has claimed that the business can no longer “sustain the high costs associated with the current terms and conditions of employment for bus drivers and trainee bus drivers and it is necessary for us to act now to protect the future viability of the business.”
The inspiring action by the Unite members in Aberdeen deserves the full support of all workers and trade unionists.
The dispute also highlights the need for the public ownership of bus services. Running vital lifeline services for profit by corporate shareholders is not acceptable. A publicly owned and democratically run transport system is essential to prevent profit-hungry companies like First Group from abusing its workers in this way.
