SURVEY REVEALS BUS COMPANIES PUT PROFITS BEFORE PASSENGERS

www.rmt.org.uk :: may 2007 :: RMTnews 11 SURVEY REVEALS BUS COMPANIES PUT PROFITS BEFORE PASSENGERS A survey published by RMT reveals privatised bus companies are more interested in making profits than providing a service for passengers Underpaid, overworked, unrewarded and insecure at work, this is how many bus workers feel about their industry according to an RMT- commissioned survey. RMT commissioned the Electoral Reform Market Research to survey over 1000 bus worker members earlier this year after Bus Minister Gillian Merron asked RMT to provide views on employment in the bus industry. The results, launched the union’s bus workers conference in Lincoln last month, revealed an industry riven by long hours and low pay, with high staff turnover, job insecurity and an increasing age profile. One of the damning conclusions was that the privatised bus companies are more interested in making profits than providing a service for passengers. 69 per cent of bus workers felt that the company they worked for was more interested in making profits than providing a service to passengers. Only 14 per cent felt their company was more interested in passengers than profits. Only 13 per cent of bus workers felt that the company they worked for adequately rewarded staff, while two-thirds said the main reason workers left the industry was because of poor pay and conditions. Younger bus workers are becoming a rarity, with 89 per cent of bus workers over the age of 34 and 70 per cent over the age of 44. Just over a third of bus workers have been employed in the industry for five years or less and only a quarter of bus workers felt secure in their job. Over 40 per cent of bus workers work over 46 hours a week and almost half earn less than £300 a week before tax. HEALTH AND SAFETY Whilst almost half of respondents felt that their company took adequate steps to protect the health and safety of employees a significant minority (31 per cent) thought that this was not the case. Also of concern was that only a third of Bus workers thought that their company took adequate steps to minimise assaults and anti social behaviour by passengers. Of real concern and relevant to the unions safety campaign against long hours, the survey found that 80 per cent worked more than 40 hours a week, 42 per cent worked more than 45 hours a week, 18 per cent more than 50 hours a week and eight per cent over 55 hours a week. DAMNING REPORT RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said that the results were a damning indictment on the bus industry. “The bus companies own workforce believes their bosses are more interested in lining the pockets of their shareholders than providing a service to passengers. “Despite making mega- profits on the back of government subsidy the private operators have refused to invest in their staff. “Poor pay, long hours and job insecurity have created an industry with a high staff turnover, which is unattractive to a new generation of workers. “The interests of passengers will be best served by bringing the bus industry back into public ownership but government proposals to make it easier for local authorities to regulate buses are a step forward. “If passengers are to benefit from improved bus services then ministers also need to take concrete steps to ensure high quality, stable and secure employment in the bus industry,” Bob said. The results of the survey will be submitted to “Putting Passengers First”, a government consultation exercise that will form part of the Draft Road Transport Bill to be published in the coming months. The full survey will be made available on the RMT website.