FIGHTING FOR DIGNITY AT WORK

RMTnews :: october 2006 :: www.rmt.org.uk 14 The bus industry was privatised in 1986 and Stagecoach attempted to buy Mansfield District and East Midlands that had been part of the National Bus group. Fortunately, at the time, there was a management buy-out which prevented this happening. Some two years later, however, the management sold out to Stagecoach at a vast profit. At the time there were seven depots and eight different NUR branches. Within a short period the company and union were at loggerheads over paid breaks and other conditions and at Chesterfield depot two of the activists were dismissed for what was termed ‘misconduct’. This was clearly an attempt to get rid of union reps and led to a call for strike action to re- instate them. The company sent scab drivers to each of the depots to break the strike and, unfortunately, there had been an irregularity on the way the ballot was conducted and the action was called off. Discussions took place between the managing director and the union committee but no agreement could be reached and a personal feud took place between the branch secretary and managing director. DE-RECOGNITION Just before Christmas 1988 the Union was de-recognised and all paybill deductions ceased immediately. Management then issued new personal contracts and insisted as people clocked on at 0430 in the mornings that they had to sign them or face no further pay rises for the foreseeable future. These contracts were known as the ‘whites’ and anyone not signing was deemed to be on ‘pink’. There was great confusion as all this activity was part of Thatcher’s Tory government’s attempt to break the unions and no clear advice was forthcoming from head office. The immediate need was to set up collectors for union subs which proved to be a nightmare. The company refused to release staff or pay for any union activity and I was, in fact, suspended for causing the workforce to cease work as it required staff to put their hands in the pocket to get the money. Throughout the next three years four of the depots were sold of and seven different pay rates were introduced, each one lower than the last. Staff were being paid deliberately in pound coins and loose change to force wages to be paid into the bank. At this time 35 employment cases were settled out of court as the company were more interested in breaking the union no matter what the cost. The staff that had refused to sign were still on the collective NUR contracts and were all put in separate rosters that worked every Sunday at the Mansfield location. Over a three-year period some staff changed over their contracts and, true to their word, no pay rises were given to the ‘pinks’. The number of those that refused to sign over dwindled as by now the drivers on the ‘white’ contract were on £1.05 an hour more, adding up to £40 a week. In 1991, the union backed three members as test cases for action short of dismissal, K Cocker, G Smith and myself, and the case lasted nine days in court at Nottingham, and due to legal technicalities again was lost. RECOGNITION Realising that things could not continue as it was damaging the business, the company agreed to negotiate with the union, subsequently re-recognising it in July 1991. There was, however, no compensation or back pay for those on ‘pink’ contracts and as a way of thanking everyone who remained firm the branch had a very special badge struck ‘loyal to the end 1988-1991’ and to this day they are still worn with pride by those concerned. Throughout this time the NUR, now RMT, had managed to maintain a large number of members and the branch was reformed in late 1991 with the remaining three depots merged into one branch which was then renamed East Midlands Bus, which it remains today. Today, the company has a full set of agreements and one rate of pay and all reps are released to do their union business. Though many challenges are still ahead, the branch believes it is capable of dealing with them and is proud to be apart of a great industrial union. Graham Geliher (above) looks at the vicious nature of bus privatisation and the brave fight for union rights in the East Midlands FIGHTING FOR DIGNITY AT WORK