Socialist Party members in the West Midlands
Just six days into indefinite strike action, National Express West Midlands bus drivers have won a 16.2% pay rise. This begins to reverse years of declining real wages.
The deal includes an improvement to overtime rates being made permanent, an increase in the length of accident pay, and improved rates for some public holiday working.
Unite members showed rock-solid support for the strike in the face of management pressure and, at some garages, having the police called to the picket line.
As one driver at West Bromwich told Socialist Party members: “Management never thought we’d go on strike – they got a nasty surprise”.
The success of the strike, in winning a pay rise well beyond what the company was originally willing to give, puts down a platform to win future improvements to pay, working conditions and rostering agreements.
The momentum from the current dispute can be built on to strengthen the union. A renewed committee of garage and route reps to talk through the shared issues across the company, along with regular meetings in the garages to hear from and feed back to the membership, is the best way to hold management to any commitments made.
One driver in Coventry on the picket told us: “If they try and mess with us again, we can fight back harder than ever!”
The fact that National Express has lost millions in revenue per strike day shows the money that drivers generate for the company every time they show up for work.
The victory of bus drivers will be an inspiration to workers across the West Midlands currently struggling for a living pay rise.
Commenting on the number of beeping horns from posties and bin workers on the picket at Yardley Wood, one driver put it best: “Everyone’s feeling the pinch – everyone should go on strike!”
