SOUTH DEVON BUS BRANCH

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: june 2022 :: RMTnews 10 South Devon Bus branch is a hive of activity as branch officials prepare for their first ever hybrid meeting with members in the room and many others joining on-line. It is a nervous time as branch secretary Jules Tobin and assistant branch secretary Craig Garrett adjust the technology to make this happen and a cheer goes up as the big screen flickers into life and it’s all systems go. Slowly members appear on boxes on the screen to join the 20 members or so in the room including national executive committee member for the south west Dave Goard who has travelled up to join them from Plymouth. Although Dave is a rail worker, he is committed to representing bus workers and made a passionate contribution on the need to fight for a professional wage for professional bus workers. “We want to fight for bus workers as much as any other grade and we don’t want you to feel like a forgotten workforce. “We support your aspiration of £15 an hour for bus workers and we will do everything in our power to make it happen. This may not happen overnight, but we must make that our aim,” he said. Branch delegates appreciated his contribution but re-iterated that they needed more support from the union. One delegate pressed the importance of getting younger people involved in the branch. “We have young activists here tonight and that is encouraging but they need to be nurtured to give them the confidence to stand up for themselves and their work mates,” he said. Given the cost-of-living crisis faced by millions of workers, pay was clearly the main topic of discussion. Delegates agreed that the given rocketing inflation the union should be asking for RPI plus in any pay rise. Jules Tobin gave a comprehensive report on upcoming pay talks laying out how negotiators had made plain to the employer that the five per cent currently on offer was not acceptable. Delegates also outlined other local issues that made it hard to make ends meet including huge bills for water SOUTH DEVON BUS BRANCH Bus workers meeting in Paignton demonstrate how the branch is the cornerstone of the union