Aberdeen

Aberdeen Pay Offer Rejected and Strike Back On

Bus services in Aberdeen will be disrupted tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday) after bus drivers from First in Aberdeen rejected a pay offer that would have seen their take home pay increase both this year and next.

The rejection of the pay offer was announced today by Unite the Union following a ballot of Aberdeen staff.

First had put the offer to Unite the Union at a productive meeting last week in an effort to end the strike action that began in mid-July. The offer included a fully-funded pay award for 2009/10 that would have increased take home pay for staff while keeping costs the same and, improvinged efficiency within the business. It would have and introduced improved shift patterns, greater flexibility and extended time off for staff thanks to a move from a five-day to a four-day working week.

In an effort to further improve the deal and provide security for its drivers, First also offered a guaranteed pay award for 2010/11, which would increase drivers wages even more.

However, staff walked away from the deal, leaving the city facing further disruption to services when strike action takes place between 3pm and 5pm on Friday afternoon.

Duncan Cameron, Operations Director for First in Aberdeen, said: "It is extremely disappointing and frustrating that the drivers have turned down a good deal that would have given them what they say they want " an increase in their take home pay. Im sure our passengers " like us " will find this difficult to understand.

"All along, we asked our staff to earn the same money this year as last year " no more and certainly no less. However, Iin an effort to find a positive way forward, we came up with a fully-funded pay deal that would have increased take home pay for staff this year and also added the incentive of a guaranteed pay increase in 2010.
"The failure of our drivers to acceptrealistically consider this offer and the benefits it would have provided shows a blatant disregard for bus passengers in Aberdeen and lets everyone down at a time when we are working tirelessly to find a solution.

"I am sorry there will be further strike action tomorrow " we had hoped our offer would have been accepted and all strike action cancelled but that has proven not to be the case. I assure all our passengers that we are doing everything we can to keep the disruption to an absolute minimum.

"In the meantime, I urge our staff to rethink the decision to turn down more money over the next two years " that simply doesnt make sense.'

Although tomorrows strike action is scheduled to last for two hours (3pm-5pm), services may be disrupted outwith these times. First is doing all it can to keep the disruption to a minimum. Yellow School Bus and other dedicated and contracted school services will operate during the strike period, staffed by volunteer supervisors and managers.