Buses - Strike Coming?

[slinkydevil]

I know quite a few on the Island have been quite upset about it. I don't mean to say all, hoever.

 

Maybe these bus drivers have sense. I mean, you lot are the workers, you work as you say damn hard. Why the complacency? Why should you not get what you have earned? I think those who haven't grumbled don't know how bad they have it.

 

Aah, yes because your company is not making as much profit as it did given the mistakes made by bosses in other companies, and your bosses think it is acceptable to withold the possibility of pay rises and bonuses. You can work your arse off as hard as you want, but it sounds as if you stance is not that you and your colleagues succeed, but rather to try and get more profit for your bosses and maybe they will be generous enough to give you what you have worked for.

 

Ah but you you don't know about where I work. My bosses are friends, there are 15 of us, we all see what comes into and out of the company as the accounts are open to us and we all go through them every month. We are a startup 2 years ago and have built the business from nothing. We all put in the time and effort to make the company succeed in difficult times because we enjoy what we do and we want it to work. It doesn't have anything to do with getting what we work for - it's a level playing field here, no secrets. A different ethos from a lot of companies granted.

 

So your assumptions are wrong.

[La_Dolce_Vita]

Sure, in a recession why shouldn't wages come down? But normally you wouldn't give people a pay cut, you'd just freeze the rises until inflation catches up.

 

It's not about good ole capitalists making a profit, it's about making business sustainable. If the wages were lower per bus driver, perhaps we could have more drivers rather than more profit, for example?

 

I think the question of 'Why should they?' is far important. I do understand why wages are frozen and how keeping wages makes it easier to ride the storm. But it doesn't excuse the utter injustice of this system.

 

I would agree fully with what you say about supply and demand,etc., if I really agree that capitalism is right, but I like to tend recognise my own exploitation and that of others.

 

Do you not see what I mean though about the value of your work?

 

The problem is that most people's understanding of their work and their role within the working world is shaped by the need to maintain the capitalist system,even to the extent that people become oblivious to the true purpose of their work and their role in society. Much of the reason why this happens is because of the necessity of wages and work to maintain existence.

I sound dogmatic, and it is a question of perspective but anyone sees their existence as being more than just a unit of labour should try and assess this situation by looking at things differently.

 

It is all very well talking about maintaining business (which is essentially maintaining profit making units) and I recognise the importance of this in such a system because that is where people work. But in this system, it is yet again the worker who has to suffer for problems. We are already exploited, we don't have any control. Yet as well as losing jobs, having our money spent by government to prop up banks, we are now expected to be understanding when pay rises and bonuses are not given? How much more are the workers going to be squeezed for the sake of returning to the standard level of exploitation?

[La_Dolce_Vita]

Ah but you you don't know about where I work. My bosses are friends, there are 15 of us, we all see what comes into and out of the company as the accounts are open to us and we all go through them every month. We are a startup 2 years ago and have built the business from nothing. We all put in the time and effort to make the company succeed in difficult times because we enjoy what we do and we want it to work. It doesn't have anything to do with getting what we work for - it's a level playing field here, no secrets. A different ethos from a lot of companies granted.

 

So your assumptions are wrong.

 

Did you get your pay rise then?

 

I understand what you are saying, it is better to have more participation than very little. Not so sure what you mean by a level playing field, in the general sense it isn't level as you have mentioned you have a boss, I assume they have authority. But your company does seem to have a different ethos. Surely then you must be more understanding of those whose work is completely monotonous and dull. And where there is very little participation in how things are run and controlled. Such as the situation for bus drivers.

 

I am not necessarily trying spit vitriole over what you said but it does amaze me the number of comments I have read from people who work in the private commenting about how good public sector workers and some others have it, rather than see them as being lucky and reflecting on how much shit they themselves have to put up with.

[theman]

it looks to me .maybe the govs may of clicked on to partime inployment plan. where there be no hol,s or sick pay ect ect...

[Port Erin]

I struggle to understand why certain professions don't seem to be effected by supply and demand. Bus drivers and posties spring to mind. Dead mans shoes type of jobs because of the pay and the hours, why do they pay them so competitively or offer such cushy hours when there's crowds of people trying to get those jobs?

 

 

I wouldn't mind so much if the buses actually ran to a timetable that would benefit the public.

 

I wanted to go to Laxey last Saturday night from Douglas, and you would think I was trying to get to the moon.

 

The Douglas - Ramsey bus via Laxey on a Saturday leaves Douglas at 6.40pm.

 

The next one leaves Douglas at 8.55pm, and the last bus back to Douglas passes Laxey at 10.15pm.

 

I had to sort out a lift both ways - and this is to get to somewhere that can only be about 8 miles away.

 

This leads me on to asking why the last bus anywhere is still at 10.50pm? If the DoT can run late night buses during TT and New Year's Eve at a higher fixed price, why can't they do it all year round?

[localyokel]

But more than anything else, they could be risking their jobs doing this so is not a decision taken lightly. Why not support them?

 

Because being paid (with overtime) £40k a year to drive a bus is a bloody piss take that's wht. If the cheeky bastards want to go on strike then let them. I'd certainly be prepared to do such a not taxing fully pensionable job for that sort of pay, some people obviously fail to see how lucky they are in the current climate.

[Declan]

It's not the DOT it's, for some bizarre reason, the DTL.

 

This quote from Quayle is rather worrying -

 

It has been widely reported that the Department of Tourism and Leisure will be facing huge financial pressures over the coming year. Whilst I and my team are keen to work with our staff to minimise the impact of these pressures on our front line services

 

What this man is saying, in effect, is that because they lost so much money on the TT and blew so much on a stupid awards ceremony that there is going to be an impact on "front line services" and since this despicable Department only has two "front line services" amongst the frippery and showing off - the buses and the NSC - ordinary folk will suffer.

[La_Dolce_Vita]

But more than anything else, they could be risking their jobs doing this so is not a decision taken lightly. Why not support them?

 

Because being paid (with overtime) £40k a year to drive a bus is a bloody piss take that's wht. If the cheeky bastards want to go on strike then let them. I'd certainly be prepared to do such a not taxing fully pensionable job for that sort of pay, some people obviously fail to see how lucky they are in the current climate.

 

£40k!

[cheesemonster2005]

I'm sure there's no shortage of people out there who'd take that job off their hands.

 

You would think, in these uncertain times, that people would just get their head down and get on with it.

 

Exactly. We were told in November there would be no pay rises or bonuses this year for any of us, but no one grumbled we just get on a work damn hard to make our company succeed. Some people are too soft.

 

Well if everyone just accepts pay freezes and pay cuts, price freezes and the like then how would an economy ever get out of recession? Half of the problems with recession must be caused by being pessimistic - in late 2007 and early 2008 economists warned about recession, then they warned some more and this encouraged businesses to stop spending money, freeze investments, etc. and low and behold there's a recession.

[Slim]

Well if everyone just accepts pay freezes and pay cuts, price freezes and the like then how would an economy ever get out of recession? Half of the problems with recession must be caused by being pessimistic - in late 2007 and early 2008 economists warned about recession, then they warned some more and this encouraged businesses to stop spending money, freeze investments, etc. and low and behold there's a recession.

 

Because a pay freeze might mean more money enters the economy, if it makes companies more viable.

 

LDV: I bemoan overpayment because that's public funds that are being diverted from something we could all benefit from.

[La_Dolce_Vita]

LDV: I bemoan overpayment because that's public funds that are being diverted from something we could all benefit from.

 

It's rather difficult to recognise what overpayment is, however, but £40k is a high salary considering how much workers are paid on average. Supply and demand, and wage packets do not reflect any true value of one's work. But I understand completely where you are coming from in a capitalist sense.

 

I am very surprised that they get £40k for driving the buses. Wow. I would have to ask why they are striking about wages then? I have to ask why that amount is inadequate and why they strike which will risk their position.

 

Slim - I understand how you look at the economy. It makes perfect sense to hold down wages for the sake of maintaining viability. But do you not see the injustice of this? It isn't right.

[Slim]

Slim - I understand how you look at the economy. It makes perfect sense to hold down wages for the sake of maintaining viability. But do you not see the injustice of this? It isn't right.

 

No, I don't. What's unjust about it?

 

The alternatives have been proven not to work time and time again. The current system is also broken, granted, but less broken than anything else.

[Augustus]

I have it on very good authority that bus drivers in the Isle of Man enjoy one of the highest rates of remuneration for bus drivers anywhere in Europe.

[Kurashima]

I'm sure there's no shortage of people out there who'd take that job off their hands.

 

You would think, in these uncertain times, that people would just get their head down and get on with it.

 

Exactly. We were told in November there would be no pay rises or bonuses this year for any of us, but no one grumbled we just get on a work damn hard to make our company succeed. Some people are too soft.

 

Seconded. We were told that payrises this year would be below inflation , and bonuses minimal, and next year , expect nothing and hope were all still in a job.

 

Bus Drivers appear to live in a world where the Credit Crunch doesnt exist.

 

Those working at Barclays Wealth right now are being told "No bonus , no wage rise , and a good portion of you are being sacked". It can be argued that why should Bus Drivers be paid more when theyll be ferrying less passengers around soon as unemployment starts to rise. Besides , werent we told not so long ago that the bus services were being subsidised to the tune of 6 figures a year?

[La_Dolce_Vita]

No, I don't. What's unjust about it?

 

The alternatives have been proven not to work time and time again. The current system is also broken, granted, but less broken than anything else.

 

One particular way it is unjust is by the fact that the workers have no control whatsoever over the running of capitalist system yet you compare the impact that its failings on the lives of workers and it demonstrates that the worker has little control over the life. Any freezing or reduction in wages has a big impact on people's lives, yet even if though the public are not responsible they shoulder the burden and their wages and jobs are where the hit is taken. That isn't very just. Especially considering the unfortunate dependence of wages which are needed to ensure one's very survival. It just demonstrates a massive level of exploitation.

 

This recession is a financial issue, not resource shortage or natural catastrophe. Nothing has actually occurred that should have a bearing on people's lives.