First South West Special Update
August 2022
Fair Pay for First South West Vote YES for Industrial Action! RMT has been left with no other option than to commence an industrial action of its First South West members following the refusal of the company to offer an acceptable pay award as part of the 2022 pay negotiations. Your RMT representatives have for several months now been pressing the company to address the outstanding pay claim. Following a series of meetings, the company tabled the following derisory offer which was rejected by RMT members:
Existing Drivers
percentages listed above.
• First Sunday in August 2022: basic hourly rates increased by 95p to £12.00 (8.6%) • First Sunday in August 2022: overtime rate will remain at £12.05 • From Sunday June 5th 2023: overtime rate will be £12.50
New drivers
• All new starters from the first Sunday in August will be paid £11.00 basic and £11.50 overtime for the first 12 months before qualifying for substantive driver rates.
Engineering, Cleaners and Supervisory staff
Rates to be increased in line with the
The next pay anniversary will therefore be August 2023 for all grades. RMT members have work tirelessly throughout the pandemic to maintain operations in often difficult circumstances contributing to strong performance levels for the company. Despite this however it seems that First South West have deemed fit to reward this outstanding contribution by offering what amounts to a real terms pay cut for our members!
You Struggle - They Rake it in! Whilst the company intransigence on pay is bad enough it is all the more galling for members struggling with a crippling cost-of-living crisis to learn that First Group continues its financial success story: •
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The company’s latest accounts show that during the first year of the pandemic, First South West made a profit before tax of £3.5m, which is DOUBLE the year before. FirstBus (South) Ltd the immediate parent company made a profit of £23.4m in the same year. The owning company First Group PLC made a profit from its bus business of £45m last year, an increase of nearly £10m from the year before. During the year First Group paid out £500m to
• •
shareholders! Across all First Group’s operations, last year its revenue was £5.6bn and profit was £226m. The CEO of First Group took home a pay packet of more than £2m last year.
RMT is determined to achieve a just and fair award for its members, and it is obvious that from the above that it is easily affordable for the company. Unfortunately, the company has chosen to ignore these facts and RMT has no other option to proceed with a ballot to protect your interests. RMT remains available for negotiations at any stage to resolve this dispute, but it demands Fair Pay for First South West.
Ballot papers will be issued from 22nd August 2022. If you do not receive a ballot paper, then please call the RMT Helpline on 0800 376 3706 or email info@rmt.org.uk
GET THE RMT MEMBERS’ APP RMT members are encouraged to download the app which is aimed at improving communication with our members. The app, which is available via both I Phone and Android devices, allows members greater access to News, Campaigns, Events and the ability to update Contact Details.
Vote YES for Industrial Action! We are stronger together. Join RMT today at www.rmt.org.uk/join
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