Busmen strike vote expected (From Oxford Mail)

Busmen strike vote expected

5:58pm Monday 25th January 2010

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By Chris Walker »

THE result of a ballot of hundreds of Oxford Bus Company drivers, engineers and office staff over strike action is expected to be revealed tomorrow.

About 400 members of the union Unite received ballot papers asking if they would be prepared to strike following an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

The deadline for the two-week postal vote is reached tonight and the ballots are expected to be counted by the Electoral Reform Services tomorrow.

All union members were asked if they wanted to take strike action, or industrial action short of a strike, or neither.

Passenger groups fear any strike action by one of the city’s two biggest bus companies, which carries more than 46,000 passengers a day, would bring gridlock to the city.

Unite’s regional industrial organiser Ian Methven said he would attempt to hold a meeting with the firm’s management to see if a new pay offer could be brokered, regardless of the outcome of the ballot.

He said: “Our intention isn’t to disrupt or inconvenience the general public. Even if there is a vote for industrial action we’ll be trying hard to resolve it before we take action.”

Mr Methven said other forms of industrial action could be considered, including staff refusing to work overtime or working to rule.

Two months ago, more than 80 per cent of union members rejected a 1.6 per cent pay rise offer from the company and said they were prepared to strike to settle the dispute.

Last month, they rejected a lower pay offer of 1.4 per cent which would have seen the company remove controversial conditions from the first offer, including reducing workers’ minimum daily working hours.

But some contentious measures, such as introducing a lower pay band for new drivers, remained.

Hugh Jaeger, Oxford’s representative for Bus Users UK, said: “A strike would bring chaos to Oxford.

“Half the people who come into Oxford come by bus and parts of the city are at a standstill anyway.

“It would only take a few more cars on the road to make sure nothing moves.

“I’d be surprised if any strike action lasted for long – but to see a job where drivers are relatively happy slipping into conflict is very sad.”

Oxford Bus Company runs 21 routes from the city and popular services to London, Heathrow, and Gatwick airports, Didcot and Abingdon.

One driver, who asked not to be named, said staff would reluctantly pursue industrial action.

He said: “A lot of drivers are ex-army, ex-navy or ex-airforce and come from occupations that never strike, but there’s a feeling that we have got no choice.”

Oxford Bus Company spokesman Phil Ashworth said: “We don’t think it’s appropriate to make any comment at the present time.”

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Your Say YourOxford

Whitto, Oxford says...
10:15pm Mon 25 Jan 10

Its a pity your picture of Hugh is in front of a Stagecoach bus. I'm surprised they haven't been in touch yet!

More sloppy work from the OM......