BUSES IN THE SOUTH WEST

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2012 :: RMTnews 10 FirstGroup’s shock decision to pull out of the bus industry in North Devon last month with the loss of around 100 jobs has put the spotlight on bus services in the region. However rival bus operator Stagecoach South West has since stepped in to run some of the routes abandoned by First, set up new routes and even re- employed many workers cast off in September. In fact the picture is much more positive in other parts of Devon particularly around the historic city of Exeter which boasts the largest bus branch in the country with around 500 members. Exeter 2 branch secretary Keith Saunders-Hole gives an indication of why the union has successfully kept a high density of membership with his knowledge of the industry and an attention to detail. “The Exeter depot operates 24/7 –24 hours a day, seven days a week – and our membership covers admin staff, drivers, fitters and cleaners,” he explains. He reports that there is a healthy relationship between management and staff based on respect for the union built up over many years. “Of course we sometimes agree to disagree but, ultimately, we come to an understanding and it is not about management unilaterally imposing deals onto us,” he says. Keith works on the Mega bus inter-city routes on five 12 hour shifts a week with a week off every four weeks. But the depot also runs city routes, rural routes, school routes and some tendered routes run for local councils. Exeter depot also has out- stations in Exmouth, Sidmouth and Dawlish while Barnstaple depot is covered by North Devon branch which will need re-organising after First pulled out. Exeter’s sister branch, South Devon Bus, covers the Torbay area down the road and while the branch may be smaller, with around 125 members, branch secretary Dave Gileby is quick to point out that the membership density is even higher than in Exeter. “Nearly 100 per cent of the workforce in RMT membership, I rest my case,” laughs Dave, highlighting a friendly rivalry with their neighbouring big city brothers. The Torbay depots operates ‘18/7’ and Dave points out that both branches struggled long and hard to ensure that all members working for Stagecoach South West had the same conditions to ensure that one set of workers could not be played off against the other. South Devon Bus branch can also be proud of hosting this year’s RMT annual general meeting in Torquay, no mean feat for a relatively small branch. As chair of the reception committee Dave says that he and the lads were still recovering. He has descibed his experience in this edition of RMT News (see page 16). Local RMT regional organiser Phil Bialyk understands the camaraderie and banter between the branches and within the region, after all he has been a member of Exeter No2 branch for 38 years. He explains that his father was a bus driver and, finding himself at a loose end back in 1974, he signed on as a conductor and never looked back. The level of organisation at the branch is reflected in the fact that it has produced three executive committee members and two regional organisers. “The secret of the success of Exeter bus branch is still organisation. “We ensure that we have reps in place at all levels and we regularly send branch members on courses at the union’s education facility at Doncaster and to regional councils and conferences. “If you have strong branch organisation things start to look after themselves,” he said. Phil has seen many changes particularly since privatisation back in the 1980s and the ConDem attacks are making things worse. He said that FirstGroup pulling out of North Devon could be ‘the tip of the iceberg’. “Ultimately, letting the market run the industry has been a disaster and now the government has lifted the ‘ringfencing’ of funds for bus services and local authorities are BUSES IN THE SOUTH WEST Organisation is the key for RMT bus members in the South West of England