Dear Mr Bus Driver Please Go On Strike

[IOMRS97 552]

Well said TJ. That certainly agrees with what I am hearing.

[spermann 146]

Dear Bus Drivers,

It does seem to be one way traffic that's against you, but for some reason, I feel it's very orchestrated and I for one, do not understand deeper issues as to why you are doing this.

Please feel free to private message me, so that I can understand your points of view that may have been concealed by other persons, management or Government. Your username will be confidential and I have never broken this or intend to in the future, but I would like to understand the nitty gritty.

They are too busy eating and sleeping.

[Lonan3 1,790]

 

Dear Bus Drivers,

It does seem to be one way traffic that's against you, but for some reason, I feel it's very orchestrated and I for one, do not understand deeper issues as to why you are doing this.

Please feel free to private message me, so that I can understand your points of view that may have been concealed by other persons, management or Government. Your username will be confidential and I have never broken this or intend to in the future, but I would like to understand the nitty gritty.

 

It's really simple, Manxy. The "powers that be" on the Isle of Man have, through their propaganda arm which spews out pro-government propaganda based on press releases and cherry-picked exposes --- e.g. bus drivers getting a lump sum after the strike, even though the entire government (except, I think, the health service) got that instead of a pay rise --- convinced 90 % of the population who are complete morons that the bus drivers are just greedy fat cats who are striking so they can be paid for lunch breaks. No mention of the bus drivers agreeing to the original terms if the management would likewise take a pay cut. No mention of the bus drivers being willing throughout this entire sorry saga to go to arbitration. This strike has been completely and deliberately provoked by the bus management, and it serves two primary purposes:

 

1) To use the bus drivers as a convenient scapegoat so that the sheepish population is distracted from calling for reform and cutbacks in the civil service as a whole -- particularly the management levels.

 

2) To nurture a favourable public attitude toward privatisation of the bus service so that, when push comes to shove, a certain director and his/her fellow cronies (some of whom appear to have "dubious" links to a certain transport company in the UK) can take it over as a private business -- a nest which they have been feathering with taxpayers' money while it's still publicly owned. And when they do take it over, they'll no doubt continue to receive lucrative subsidies at taxpayers' expense. It's a win-win for them.

Clear, concise and accurate.

[Albert Tatlock 11,541]

 

There seems to be a lot of comments in the media about the bus strike having the potential to really hurt the TT festival.

 

I find it hard to see how this could happen,e I have never seen many bikers on buss but then again I dont live in Douglas and maybe they use them in the evenings?

 

In addition to that, do many come to watch the bikes without any form of transport? Again I have not seen the buses busier in TT period but again stand to be corrected.

 

Anyone know if the visitors do use the buses en-mass?

I assume that you can identify bikers on buses because they are wearing leathers and helmets?

They'll be even harder to spot once the Bendy Buses Arriva here. Even grannies will start buying crash helmets for riding them.

[macmannin 105]

The ten who are off sick not only get their basic wage but also paid any overtime they were rostered to do.Im not blaming the bus drivers,who in management negotiated these crazy terms?

[Lost Login 1,710]

It's really simple, Manxy. The "powers that be" on the Isle of Man have, through their propaganda arm which spews out pro-government propaganda based on press releases and cherry-picked exposes --- e.g. bus drivers getting a lump sum after the strike, even though the entire government (except, I think, the health service) got that instead of a pay rise --- convinced 90 % of the population who are complete morons that the bus drivers are just greedy fat cats who are striking so they can be paid for lunch breaks. No mention of the bus drivers agreeing to the original terms if the management would likewise take a pay cut. No mention of the bus drivers being willing throughout this entire sorry saga to go to arbitration.

 

You really are a prize pillock.

 

There have been plenty of references arbitratiaon and requesting the management would likewise take a pay cut. Many are on this thread.

 

Manx Radio have had numerous interviews with the bus drivers, Holmes and Morton, many of them live so no opportunity for them to be cut or edited

 

The fact that you decide to ignore that any of the above has happened and say the complete opposite does not make what you say true.

 

There is one reason and one reason alone that 90% of the population think that the drivers are greedy fat cats is because they are! Guaranteed minimum amount of overtime, overtime for working Sundays these are working practices that for most similar workers in the UK went out decades ago.

 

Both parties are probably not telling the full story but the problem is when the drivers do it, it is obvious they are lying e.g. in a 4.5hr driving time they will not have a toilet break!

 

The drivers have the money and muscle of unite behind them. If they want to get my support and so I can judge matters better for myself it would be a simle matter to post on line a full copy of a drivers contract together with full terms and conditions. It would also be obvious then if management are not telling the truth about the contracts. For some reason that never happens. Any chance it is because they do not want to see what a cushy number they are still on?

 

I would love bus drives wages and terms to be drawn up from scratch with binding arbitration. Chances are they would be much worse off than they are at present. I better they would not sign up for that.

 

It is dead simple. If drivers think they are misrepresented then just post on line the details. If they do not want the job on the current terms then fine, get off the pot and stop pissing, there are many who would glady do the job including a mate of mine who got made redundant when his work place got closed down. He is putting himself through the tests in the hope he might get a driving job sometime in the future but at present is basically taking anything going including stacking shelves.

 

Finally I would not disagree that the Govt are happy the dispute continues as it distrakes the public from other issues and that the points you make in 1 and 2 need addressing. But that does not alter the fact that bus drives are one of the overpaid areas that need addressing and yes it may seem unfair they appear to be the first but you have to start somewhere. In fact they are not the first, speak to teachers about the cuts they have had over the last couple of years

Edited May 26, 2013 by Lost Login

[Albert Tatlock 11,541]

It's dead simple to me. Put Bus Vannin into liquidation - staff, management and all - and put out to tender the annual £6M loss making service. Bus Vannin is a limited company and can be dealt with under the normal legal requirements of a failing company. Any company would then be tendering for a service, not buying a company and all the ramifications that go with that.

 

We may need to provide some grants to maintain some of the rural routes, but I'm convinced we can turn a £6M loss into only maybe a £1M or £2M loss quite quickly. Salaries are a substantial element of those losses. There may have to be the equivalent of a Sunday service for many routes, but people will adapt, and what are now many empty buses will operate far more efficiently. Split shift operations will enable us to deal with peaks in traffic. Under good management, the bus service could eventually break even and make a profit on it's own - but regardless, the taxpayer losses would be substantially reduced. Any cost to the taxpayer should only concern rural routes, if they prove to be an economic stumbling block for any potential operator.

[Thomas Jefferson 2,560]

 

You really are a prize pillock.

 

F you too.

 

 

You really are a prize pillock.

 

There have been plenty of references arbitratiaon and requesting the management would likewise take a pay cut. Many are on this thread.

 

Manx Radio have had numerous interviews with the bus drivers, Holmes and Morton, many of them live so no opportunity for them to be cut or edited

 

The fact that you decide to ignore that any of the above has happened and say the complete opposite does not make what you say true.

 

There is one reason and one reason alone that 90% of the population think that the drivers are greedy fat cats is because they are! Guaranteed minimum amount of overtime, overtime for working Sundays these are working practices that for most similar workers in the UK went out decades ago.

 

Both parties are probably not telling the full story but the problem is when the drivers do it, it is obvious they are lying e.g. in a 4.5hr driving time they will not have a toilet break!

 

The drivers have the money and muscle of unite behind them. If they want to get my support and so I can judge matters better for myself it would be a simle matter to post on line a full copy of a drivers contract together with full terms and conditions. It would also be obvious then if management are not telling the truth about the contracts. For some reason that never happens. Any chance it is because they do not want to see what a cushy number they are still on?

 

I would love bus drives wages and terms to be drawn up from scratch with binding arbitration. Chances are they would be much worse off than they are at present. I better they would not sign up for that.

 

It is dead simple. If drivers think they are misrepresented then just post on line the details. If they do not want the job on the current terms then fine, get off the pot and stop pissing, there are many who would glady do the job including a mate of mine who got made redundant when his work place got closed down. He is putting himself through the tests in the hope he might get a driving job sometime in the future but at present is basically taking anything going including stacking shelves.

 

Finally I would not disagree that the Govt are happy the dispute continues as it distrakes the public from other issues and that the points you make in 1 and 2 need addressing. But that does not alter the fact that bus drives are one of the overpaid areas that need addressing and yes it may seem unfair they appear to be the first but you have to start somewhere. In fact they are not the first, speak to teachers about the cuts they have had over the last couple of years

 

 

Meanwhile, while you mouth off about the bus drivers, who is talking about cutting the pay of civil servants or laying off the saturated levels of completely needless management? Where is the momentum for that? Could it be that 90% of our news -- both at Manx Radio and Johnston Press -- is derived from government press releases, and that this presents an inherent bias in the attention given to reporting of particular issues?

[Thomas Jefferson 2,560]

It's dead simple to me. Put Bus Vannin into liquidation - staff, management and all - and put out to tender the annual £6M loss making service. Bus Vannin is a limited company and can be dealt with under the normal legal requirements of a failing company. Any company would then be tendering for a service, not buying a company and all the ramifications that go with that.

 

We may need to provide some grants to maintain some of the rural routes, but I'm convinced we can turn a £6M loss into only maybe a £1M or £2M loss quite quickly. Salaries are a substantial element of those losses. There may have to be the equivalent of a Sunday service for many routes, but people will adapt, and what are now many empty buses will operate far more efficiently. Split shift operations will enable us to deal with peaks in traffic. Under good management, the bus service could eventually break even and make a profit on it's own - but regardless, the taxpayer losses would be substantially reduced. Any cost to the taxpayer should only concern rural routes, if they prove to be an economic stumbling block for any potential operator.

 

It's a public service paid for by tax payers, not a bloody business -- it's not supposed to make a profit; it's SUPPOSED to make a "loss".

[Lost Login 1,710]

Meanwhile, while you mouth off about the bus drivers, who is talking about cutting the pay of civil servants or laying off the saturated levels of completely needless management? Where is the momentum for that? Could it be that 90% of our news -- both at Manx Radio and Johnston Press -- is derived from government press releases, and that this presents an inherent bias in the attention given to reporting of particular issues?

 

Lots of people are, but I suppose unless you are spoonfed the inormation, as per your question on NI, you do not believe it is happening.

 

I am as pissed off as the next person about the complete lack of reform with regard to parts of the public sector and those who have bloated salaraies, staffing structures etc, but I am not wholly surprised.

 

I also recognise that changes will not happen equally across the board and at the same time. I also recognise that whilst time is spent fighting the bus drives further changes are unlikely and that if the battle against the bus drivers is won the changes of other changes are minimal.

 

Hopefully it is like domino toppling. Once the first has fallen others will quickly follow however there have been cuts to others. The fact that they went through without strikes probably means you are not aware of them

[Dr Gonzo 15]

Could it be that 90% of our news -- both at Manx Radio and Johnston Press -- is derived from government press releases, and that this presents an inherent bias in the attention given to reporting of particular issues?

 

Could it be that at least three times journalists have been physically intimidated by bus drivers when they were only trying to get their side of the story? Including some work experience / trainee from Manx Radio? Prompting apologies from the union for the attitude of its members?

You complain about how much say the government has, there's an easy way to rectify it - get in touch with a journalist and give them a story instead of behaving like spoilt dicks and blaming somebody else for your misfortune. The only way to win a strike is to keep public sympathy, and the best way of throwing that away is to piss off the media covering it.

And I say that as one of the few people left on the Island who still has a lot of sympathy for the strike.

[Thomas Jefferson 2,560]

 

Could it be that 90% of our news -- both at Manx Radio and Johnston Press -- is derived from government press releases, and that this presents an inherent bias in the attention given to reporting of particular issues?

 

Could it be that at least three times journalists have been physically intimidated by bus drivers when they were only trying to get their side of the story? Including some work experience / trainee from Manx Radio? Prompting apologies from the union for the attitude of its members?

You complain about how much say the government has, there's an easy way to rectify it - get in touch with a journalist and give them a story instead of behaving like spoilt dicks and blaming somebody else for your misfortune. The only way to win a strike is to keep public sympathy, and the best way of throwing that away is to piss off the media covering it.

And I say that as one of the few people left on the Island who still has a lot of sympathy for the strike.

 

I am not aware of any "journalists" on the Isle of Man. What we have are government mouthpieces.

[Dr Gonzo 15]

No wonder they ignore your side of the story.

[Thomas Jefferson 2,560]

No wonder they ignore your side of the story.

 

My side? I am not a bus driver. I'm just on the side of truth.

[Dr Gonzo 15]

I'm not aware of any bus drivers on the Island, just fat lazy overpaid overunionised dicks with a very high opinion of their job, which consists of sitting down for 45 hours a week.