Andrew Burns

The truth behind the bus chaos

By The Basa ⋅ July 13, 2005 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Finally we get real facts and figures about what is behind the bus chaos ahead in Edinburgh.

Isn’t it strange that Teflon Don Anderson and bumbling Andrew Burns have stayed silent on the affair which is affecting the vast majority of the city’s residents daily.

Who does it take to put facts and figures on the table? A bus driver! Speaking about the percentages of the rises doesn’t tell us the true story. In a letter to the Evening News published today, the man on the street get’s his say:

The annual wage figures currently are on average £17,927 plus £2165, overtime giving a total pay of £20,092 before deductions (based on doing all the overtime available on rota). After the rota change on average it will be £17,927 plus £1082.50 overtime, giving a total pay of £19,009.50 before deductions, doing all the overtime available on rota – a combined loss in earnings of £1082.50 before deductions.

What makes this even worse, is that this driver has to remain anonymous because he is telling the truth about what is appearing in his pay packet every month in what is supposed to be a democratic society. However, he/she then goes on to tell us what will happen when those percentages that the union and Lothian Buses are shouting about applied to real time bus driver’s pay packets.

If we receive the 6.15 per cent the union want the total average with overtime would be £20,178.58. If we receive the five per cent the company has offered with conditions the average would be £19,959.97. If we get what the union want we actually only get a pay rise of £86.58, and the company’s offer would see us losing £132.03.

Lothian buses seemingly are making profits which exceed £5million and if all the figures above are correct, it looks like the drivers are without doubt correct. It is time our elected leaders who are gaining from the bus company’s profits come out in public and tell us whether the above is right or wrong.

More Info: Overtime the key to city drivers’ dispute

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