Brent Trades Council is urging local residents and trade unionists to sign an open letter to Sadiq Khan urging him to stop attempts to change the working conditions of London bus drivers.
The change, called 'remote sign on', would mean drivers instead of going to a garage to begin their working day going to a bus stop or other venue and joining a bus. Their working time would begin at that point and pay would be reduced if the bus was late. Drivers would only be paid for the time they are behind the wheel. The bus stop would of course lack the facilities of toilets and canteens available at a garage and limit interaction with other bus workers. It is believed that the change would equate to a 7% fall in earnings.
SIGN THE OPEN LETTER HERE
We urge you as Mayor of London to stop
remote sign on which bus operators are proposing to introduce on some
bus routes. You have already instructed the Board of Transport of London
(TfL) to order a moratorium on remote sign on in London which is
conditional on “research” being done on its impact.
Why is this important?
Research shows that remote sign on is bad news for
drivers, detrimental to passengers and risks the safety of all road
users. If a bus is delayed the driver is left, unpaid and in the open,
for considerable lengths of time in all weathers, increasing issues of
tiredness and fatigue. Driver fatigue is a health concern and a tired
driver places passenger safety at risk. Also Unite the Union, of which
you are a member, calculated that remote sign on would equate to an
immediate seven per cent cut in wages on average for affected workers.
Terms and conditions of London bus drivers are under attack by bus
operators. The outsourcing of routes to 16 different operators means bus
drivers have different rates of pay, different contracts and different
sets of terms and conditions depending on the company they work for.
Drivers working for RATP London United are already taking industrial
action across 7 bus depots for improved pay and in defence of their
terms and conditions. Metroline and Metroline West bus depots have now
won their ballot for industrial action opposing the introduction of
remote sign on and in defence of their terms and conditions.
Only bus operators benefit from this scheme as they cut costs by
reducing wages. This is why despite your moratorium Unite’s 4,000
members have vowed to fight remote sign on with everything they have as
they are concerned your moratorium will not achieve a suitable outcome.
They have given overwhelming support to taking industrial action in defence of their terms and conditions.
Please ensure that as Mayor of London, you give bus drivers a cast
iron guarantee that bus companies are not allowed to compete on pay and
conditions for staff, please set a minimum and equal standard of
employment for all bus drivers and re-assure bus drivers, who are
essential workers, that both their pay and their terms and conditions
are in safe hands whilst you are Mayor of London? And please keep to
your pledge if re-elected Mayor on 6th May.
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