Busses

[I hammer]

Has anyone seen a bus today?

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[Rachael]

There are several routes running in Sydenham today. You can see a list of routes that are operating here: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/ ... rvices.pdf? I don't think that list is entirely up to date, though.

I've seen the 75, which isn't kn that list, but it doesn't seem to be as frequent as normal. Check the TFL website for live bus departures.

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[rbmartin]

The 194, 197 and 450 also ran through Sydenham at points during the day.

[cockneyrebel]

Hopefully they were the three companies that took undemocratic legal action to stop the strike. Otherwise they were scabs.

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[Eagle]

Hold on.

Scabs , undemocratic action. Are we back in the 70's.

This action itself is an attempt at blackmail. Praise to the drivers who operated their buses as usual.

TFL should never had agreed to give into blackmail by the infamous Tube Union. The Bus companies should not give in to this farce . Every person working in London could claim this blackmail.
I presume if a route takes longer in The Olympics they will earn overtime.

[Annie.]

The way I see it Eagle, there are x amount of seats on a bus,they could in theory be filled on every trip/stop on a normal day? So whats the difference on an olympic day? You can only fill it o the original capacity.also if they are to get a bonus, let it be after the olympics when the cash is totted up minus all the running costs etc, then and only then maybe it would be a nice gesture if the bus companys did give a bonus only on the amount of extra cash that was generated.

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[Eagle]

Sounds a good idea Annie if only to drivers who have NOT gone on strike.

[14BradfordRoad]

Sounds a good idea Annie if only to drivers who have NOT gone on strike.

Just a thought:
Realistically those who have NOT gone on strike will stand to prosper from any gains made
from the ones who DID take industrial action. I doubt that any significant financial gain would
have been made without this industrial action being taken.

I don't personally take a side on the rights or wrongs of this recent action and not a bus driver
either so do not fully understand their case, but I do know that (from experience) this has often been the case made following financial settlement!

[14BradfordRoad]

The way I see it Eagle, there are x amount of seats on a bus,they could in theory be filled on every trip/stop on a normal day? So whats the difference on an olympic day? You can only fill it o the original capacity.also if they are to get a bonus, let it be after the olympics when the cash is totted up minus all the running costs etc, then and only then maybe it would be a nice gesture if the bus companys did give a bonus only on the amount of extra cash that was generated.

The scenario you give Annie would be an ideal situation and in the 'true spirit' of what a
deserved bonus should be all about: A workers share in the profitability made from their
added efforts and for going the extra mile (literally in their case )..Obviously as you
say paid out after the extra profitibility was counted /reckoned up!

Unfortunately many others have set a terrible example to the rest of us where bonuses
are concerned. Chief executive Martin Baggs (Thames water) very recently took home a whopping big bonus of £418359 for the year to March 31 on top of his £425000 salary even though, I for one, and probably many others didn't think he deserved it, yet pay towards it.
I won't talk about the other famous / infamous group of people well known for recieving huge bonuses for "Well frankly getting it very wrong!"
Not many of these big bonus earners actually got paid their bonus for getting it right or
having to wait untill 'after the event' when additional profitibility was calculated, many of
them would not have recieved a bonus at all! The bonus culture DOES need to change but possibly from examples set at the top then spiralling downwards.
This is only my opinion of course, I'm reasonably happy to do my job regardless (Bonus would
be a nice gesture though )!

Nether-the-less agree that the bonus/gesture scenario you suggest would be ideal Annie!
BTW I don't know the first thing about driving a bus!

[Annie.]

My husband was a bus driver for about 15 yrs or so,this was a few years back though,but he thinks their demands are farcical.
Bonuses should be just that! The people who want one should prove they deserve it before they are given it, bankers/ Chief executives /bus drivers - etc etc anyone at all really.

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[Eagle]

Well said Annie.

Next Monsieur Balls will want a bonus for going 2 mins in the commons without issuing more drivel.

[Annie.]

Thats another thing Eagle (off topic sorry) all mps should only be paid for the actual time they spend in the commons or on government work! They should have to clock in and out like many of us do.

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[cockneyrebel]

Eagle if we follow your logic we would never have got anything. The NHS, education for all, minimum wage, getting rid of child labour in the UK, the list could go on and on.

The people who are blackmailing us are the rich who say they have to pay low taxes otherwise they will leave the country. This despite the fact that the richest 1000 people on the UK have just seen their wealth go up to 415 BILLION, a record high and far more than the entire national debt.

Good on the bus drivers for not just being walked over. The bus companies are making huge profits yet drivers have faced wage cuts again and again since privatisation as wage increases have been below inflation.

Eagle your arguments sound like something from the Victorian era.

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[cockneyrebel]

Also you mention Balls (who I have no time for), but miss out Cameron and his Etonian millionaire chums with duck houses.

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[Annie.]

To be honest Cockneyrebel you are right about the politicians with duck houses,or the ones who charge their second homes to the tax payer and all the othr rip off merchants out there,including benefit cheats, but,to hold this country to ransom by saying more pay or no bus/ trains during an event that could bring wealth to many in a recession,ie shop keepers,caterers,hotel staff the list is endless,I think it stinks, if the money is there after the work has been done,then fair enough they might deserve some of it,but until then,what absolute idiots they are making us look to the rest of the world, we 're getting as bad as the french,every holiday that comes along the french strike! And we seem to be heading the same way.

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[cockneyrebel]

Bus drivers were never paid well, and since privatisation have had their pay cut further. The bus companies have had huge profits and refused to give any of this to the staff in terms of wage increases. If the companies do this, what other option do the workers have? They can either be walked all over or take action. No-one wants to lose pay by going on strike. The one's holding us to ransom are the bus companies and their bosses who are making massive profits. The 1000 richest people who have £415 billion are holding us to ransom.

As for saying we are absolute idiots. Yeah we are by accepting that 1000 people should have £415 billion while a massive chunk of the population lives on poverty wages and public services get slashed.

As for being "as bad as the French", are you having a laugh? Because workers there are prepared to take action they have far better pensions, a lower pension age, better health care, better public service, better trains, more holidays, better pay. The list goes on and on. Who are the idiots? I don't think it's the French some how.

[Eagle]

Cockney rebel. I am lost for words so best say nothing.


I here the ferry workers from Mallaig to Isle of Lewis demanding Olympic Bonus and also the street sweepers in Ulan Bator.

[maestro]

Cockney rebel. I am lost for words so best say nothing.


I here the ferry workers from Mallaig to Isle of Lewis demanding Olympic Bonus

They'd be perfectly entitled to, particularly since there is no direct ferry service between those destinations.

[Eagle]

Oh. I know there was in the 60's but obviously Mr Caledonia McBrain has stopped running.

Where do the ferried stop on the mainland now. Is it Kyle ( surely not big enough ), Ullapool to far North?

[Tim Lund]

Since this thread has gone surreal, I thought I'd post a photo I took recently of somewhere that Scottish ferries used to ply