Arriva bus drivers ballot for strike action over low pay
News / Mon 25th Jul 2022 at 02:51pm
EIGHT hundred Unite members employed as bus drivers by Arriva in Kent and Essex, are being balloted for industrial action in a dispute over pay.
The ballot closes on Friday 12 August and if the workers vote for industrial action then strikes could begin before the end of next month.
Despite extensive negotiations Arriva has only been prepared to offer a 7.8 per cent pay increase, which is a substantial pay cut with the real inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 11.8 per cent. The bus drivers earn as little as £12.12 an hour.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Arriva and its parent company, Deutsche Bahn, are fabulously wealthy and can fully afford to make our members a decent pay offer. The company is prioritising paying dividends to shareholders over decent wages for workers.
“Unite will provide its members with the union’s total support until a pay offer which meets members’ expectations is made, which would resolve the dispute.”
Arriva is hugely wealthy, it is part of German company Deutsche Bahn one of the largest transport companies in the world. In the last 10 years Deutsche Bahn has made profits of £5.9 billion. During that time it has made profits of £560 million from running UK buses. In the same timeframe Deutsche Bahn has paid £4.3 billion in dividends to its owner, the government of Germany.
The drivers are based at depots in Colchester, Harlow and Southend-on-Sea in Essex and in Gillingham, Maidstone, Gravesend and Tunbridge Wells in Kent.
If the workers vote for industrial action it will create considerable disruption to the bus network across both counties.
Unite regional officer Janet Nobbs said: “Passengers in Kent and Essex will be worried about potential disruption to services but this dispute is of Arriva’s own making. Despite extensive negotiations it has refused to make a fair offer to its workforce.
“Strike action could still be avoided if the company returns to the negotiating table and makes an improved offer.”
Unite is currently involved in a continuous all out strike of Arriva members in the North West and is balloting its members in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire for industrial action.
Arrive bus drivers are inconsiderate!
2022-07-25 16:12:19
Just get on with your jobs you inconsiderate idiots! We have two travel on busses and trains and you stupid pathetic idiots want to strike because of pay! Grow the hell up and DO YOUR JOB! We don't care about your pay so you shouldn't be stopping us from living our lives. Go sort it out with your bosses. Pathetic inconsiderate wastes of space!
nob
2022-07-25 17:11:39
HaHaHa what a stupid person you are make yourself known to a driver and say what youv`e just said
Support the driver
2022-07-25 17:48:55
What a plank posting do your job. Maybe they should all get better paid jobs and leave no buses running . Most drivers love the job but the money now is not much better than shelf stacking.
No name
2022-07-25 18:46:03
Less than 12.12 per hour thats for a trainee which arriva have put through training school, most drivers are money higher that £13 per hour with some just been offered £14.30 per hour. Greed comes to mind here..
Mr Grumpy
2022-07-25 20:41:50
When I was made redundant due to covid, I was interested in driving for Arriva. The salary, however, was a different matter. There is lots of training drivers have to undergoe, plus regular compancy tests (at ones own cost). This plus the huge responsibility drivers have for passenger and vehicle safety deserves a much larger pay packet. If I had become a driver, I would have started on £9.90 per hour, going up to a maximum of £12 after 3 years. If they go on strike I would not blame them.
Pat B
2022-07-25 21:15:26
The top comment here was so obviously written by one of the many disgusting bullies who think Bus Drivers are there to be abused. Even to their faces on the Bus. Public Servants and all that aye mate 👌 If you're that bothered take a driving test and get a car or a taxi. If buses are that bad don't use them you
Emygee
2022-07-26 08:39:58
Did a 2yr old write that comment about bus drivers being a waste of space lol. Educate yourself, it's people like you who will let the UK and all these foreign owned companies drive down wages for people in a country gripped by a cost of living crisis, if these drivers don't stand for a better pay deal then they'll effectively have less money in their pockets at the end of every week, effectively accepting a pay cut! It's not about greed it's about trying to survive in a world that is hammering peoples pockets, especially the oil companies and of course Russia who continue to cause many issues with food production not to mention the gas and oil they won't trade with most of the west now. Take a look at the bigger picture before calling people wastes of space!
Pat
2022-07-26 19:28:09
Its a job and pay the bills and gets peple to work and shopping
Arrive bus drivers are inconsiderate!
2022-07-27 08:27:00
Support the driver - No one cares about your comment. Nob- No one cares about your comment. Emygee - No one cares about your comment. Pat B - No one cares about your comment.
NF
2022-07-27 13:29:19
NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR COMMENTS, USE TRUSTY BUS!!!!!
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