www.socialistworker.co.
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Back the Arriva strike on Tuesday...
VOTE YES FOR ONE
RATE ACROSS LONDON
T
here is just one week left
to build the biggest possible
yes vote for sector wide
strikes for equal pay in London.
Bus drivers should do everything
they can to deliver a vote which
shows the bosses the level of
anger in the garages.
Pay for new starters varies
massively from company to
company, from 9.20 to 11.46 an
hour according to Unite. This is
about fighting for one rate for the
job and the right to fight across
the sector over pay, terms and
conditions. Its a battle for a return
to central bargaining.
Bus workers showed the power
that they have when they struck
together in the 2012 Olympic bonus
campaign. Many drivers thought that
more strikes could have won more.
Strike
A recent report in The Mirror
newspaper states that while the
public are getting a worse service
with huge numbers of routes being
axed, the bus companies profits and
the bosses salaries are soaring and
bus fares continue to rise.
Currently 72 per cent of buses in
Britain are run by just five firms:
Go-Ahead, Stagecoach, Arriva, First
Group and National Express. These
firms made 518 million in 2012.
The money is there for fair pay!
In some companies there has
already been success. Even the
suggestion of strike action has
forced them to improve pay offers.
At Sovereign theres an offer of
700 the first year and 4.3 percent
the second year. At London United
the offer is 5 percent over 18 months
and at Stagecoach its a one year
deal of 2.5 percent.
If this is whats possible with just
the threat of strikes a London
Unite bus reps building the Yes vote in London
wide bus strike could win much
more.
On Tuesday over 3,000 Unite
members on Arriva North and
Arriva South buses in London are
set to strike over their pay offer of
1.85 percent. Their strike deserves
maximum solidarity. Other bus
drivers and other workers should
do everything they can to support
their fight.
Ballot
The fight at Arriva and the current
ballot for equal pay is about fighting
for a levelling up in the bus industry.
All bus drivers do the same job
there should be equal pay, level with
the best pay in the sector.
Millions of working class people
face the biggest pay squeeze since
the 1860s. And Labour have offered
no alternative to Tory austerity. The
best way to beat austerity and the
likes of the UKIP vultures who want
to blame migrant workers is united
strike action.
Black and white workers united
on the picket line is the best way to
fight back against UKIPs lies.
Its time to stand up and stop
the race to the bottom, sector wide
strikes will be a big step in the right
direction. Vote yes to strike!
What they earn...
Go-Aheads profits rose by 19 per cent
last year and the pay packet of chief
executive David Brown went up by 108
per cent to 1,960,000. Stagecoachs
Martin Griffiths will be paid 2.2 million
this year, including a 600,000 bonus.
First Groups Tim OToole got a 600,000
bonus and shares in a deal worth around
2 million.
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