Monday 12 November 2012

MEMBERS OF TRANSPORT UNION RMT will be taking a further 24 hours of strike this Thursday (15th November) on First Devon and Cornwall buses

Glen Burrows2:48pm Nov 12

MEMBERS OF TRANSPORT UNION RMT will be taking a further 24 hours of strike this Thursday (15th November) on First Devon and Cornwall buses in a continuing dispute over pay.

Relevant members are have been instructed not to book on for duty between 00:01 and 23:59 hours on Thursday 15th November 2012.

The action follows a rock solid strike on the 26th October where even the company admitted that only a tiny fraction of buses ran and comes after a massive rejection of this year's long overdue pay offer.

Industrial action scheduled to take place on 8th November 2012 was suspended to allow for a consultation with members on a revised offer from the company.

The overwhelming consensus from the shop floor was to reject the offer on the grounds that the company are refusing to honour back pay. RMT believes that the company have deliberately dragged out the negotiations in order to dilute the first year of the offer by not including the crucial back pay element.

Support for the first day of action was solid in all depots. RMT members in Plymouth, Dartmouth, Tavistock, Torpoint, Camborne, Eden, Helston, Truro, Falmouth and Penzance formed picket lines and ensured the success of the action, The company (in their own words) ran less than 10 per cent of services, which were run by a handful of Managers.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

"After the magnificent support for the strike action at the end of October we would have hoped that First Devon and Cornwall management would have come forward with and offer aimed at reaching a solution to this dispute over pay justice.

"The refusal to honour back pay deliberately watered down the value of the deal and that penny-pinching has led us back into strike action this week.

"The strength of feeling amongst the staff remains as strong as it ever was and the determination to secure a fair deal is rock solid amongst the bus workers. First Devon and Cornwall must recognise that and get round the table with us to sort out a deal that properly rewards this key group of transport staff without unacceptable strings and conditions."

Further strike action on First Devon and Cornwall buses this Thursday as RMT steps up fight for pay justice.

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