BUS WORKERS MEET

RMTnews :: may 2006 :: www.rmt.org.uk 16 Conference recognised that bus workers’ pensions are under threat, particularly at Stagecoach Group, and warned that strike action may be required to defend decent pension schemes. AGS Mike Cash reported that the union had met with Stagecoach Bus Group and he was shocked by their proposals for benefit cuts in the final salary pension scheme. “The company’s plans are totally unrealistic and unreasonable which involve across the board cuts in the pensions and introducing an inferior scheme,” he said. Mick pointed out that Stagecoach not only wanted to close the scheme to new members but slash future benefits for those already in it. “For instance, a member with 35 years service will lose 10 per cent of benefits immediately under the proposals,” he said. He said that the pension scheme has over 11,000 members and was still viable so the planned cuts were simply an excuse to maintain profits for shareholders. “These cuts are so drastic, there is no room to negotiate and we will have to do something about it jointly with the other unions involved. “If we can get unity on the railways to fight in defence of pensions, we can get it on the buses,” he said. Phil Coakley, Poole and District delegate said that propaganda must be produced to inform members. “Officers need to get around the branches and depots to speak to members and answer their questions,” he said. Regional organiser Phil Bialyk warned that the attack on pensions was an attempt to cut costs at every turn. “The employers want to condition workers to think that they won’t get a pension in the future. “We should be campaigning not only to defend pensions for existing members but keep them open to incomers because we do not want a two-tier workforce,” he said. He outlined how RMT had defended bus workers pensions over the last year and planned to keep up the campaign in the future. Conference agreed to build a joint campaign with the T&G in defence of the Stagecoach pension scheme, up to and including a ballot to take strike action. BUS WORKERS CHARTER Conference agreed to encourage branches to submit pay claims in line with the union’s bus workers charter. Peter Edwards, Exeter No2 delegate said that the charter was an invaluable guide to branches which had been such a success the concept of a charter had spread to other grades and even other unions. Graham Gelither East Midlands delegate pointed out that the charter should not restrict branches implementing their own ideas. Andy Lister, speaking for the Council of Executives, told conference that the bus workers’ charter was now being updated with new information and would be reproduced later in the year. GO-AHEAD ATTACKS Peter Gale, Poole and District delegate outlined how the Go-Ahead group was carrying out anti-RMT activities by prohibiting RMT reps from attending the Go-Ahead forum. “This forum is where all the local directors meet to discuss industrial issues such as pensions, uniforms and cab design. “We were making headway on a number of issues before reps were blocked from attending,” he said. Consequently, decent final salary pensions have now been replaced with an inferior scheme. Conference agreed to campaign on behalf of bus workers employed by Go-Ahead to ensure they are not discriminated against. AGS Mike Cash said it should be possible to create a Go-Ahead forum that encompasses all RMT workers that work for PENSIONS UN This year’s bus workers grades conference in Plymouth recognised that bosses were gearing up to attack staff pensions