Dundee bus employees to stroll out for 12 weeks, union says
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ommuters in Dundee face weeks of journey distress as a bus firm slashes its timetables amid a walkout by employees.
Around 200 Xplore Dundee employees primarily based on the metropolis’s East Dock Street depot will strike for 12 weeks from Monday, Unite confirmed on Friday after final ditch talks with the bus agency failed to supply a breakthrough.
The bus firm has warned the strike will imply most companies will run to a modified Sunday timetable – with companies working each 30 to 60 minutes through the day on its core routes.
Some companies, together with Dundee and Fife faculty buses, will likely be suspended, the agency mentioned, however some additional early morning journeys had been added for these travelling to work, together with these to and from Ninewells Hospital.
The solely factor that may stop strike motion from occurring is that if the corporate considerably enhance their pay supply. It actually is that easy
Only the service to Edinburgh Airport is working as regular, with a bus each 90 minutes.
Dougie Maguire, Unite regional coordinating officer, mentioned: “The only thing that will prevent strike action from happening is if the company significantly improve their pay offer. It really is that simple.
“Either the company value their workers and are prepared to pay them to going rate, which they can well afford, or they instead want strike action.”
Workers concerned within the strike – which was backed by 93% of those that took half within the poll – embrace drivers, responsibility managers, platform and admin employees.
Unite members had rejected a 7% rise, which the union mentioned had not been improved, and that discussions on the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) on Friday made no progress.
Mr Maguire mentioned: “Xplore Dundee management in a last ditch attempt to stop the imminent strike action sought talks with us through Acas.
“It was a cynical move on the last day possible when they have had months to resolve this dispute.”
We will likely be writing to our employees within the coming days to reiterate the improved supply that was made
But Ralph Roberts, chief government of Xplore Dundee’s house owners McGill’s Group, mentioned the corporate “strongly refute the narrative being put forward” by the union which, he mentioned, “have sold a false expectation to their members and will leave the Dundee public to pick up the pieces of their unreasonable demands”.
Mr Roberts mentioned the corporate had amended its supply to “try to meet the union’s aspirations” however that “the union are unwilling to put this offer before their members and we couldn’t reach agreement”.
“The strike will now go ahead as planned. McGill’s will endeavour to minimise the disruption to our customers as much as possible by running a modified Sunday timetable,” he mentioned.
“We will be writing to our staff in the coming days to reiterate the improved offer that was made.”
Ahead of Monday’s strike, Unite claimed its members had fallen behind those that work at different comparable bus companies throughout Tayside and Fife.
The union claimed employees in different firms loved extra aggressive charges of pay, and have entry to extra time pay and an organization sick pay scheme.
Workers had not too long ago supported placing at Xplore Dundee. Some 93% of the 88.6% who took half within the poll backed the walkout.