5% Pay Rise Sought By West Mids Bus Drivers.

Unite is pressing for a five per cent increase for 3,750 bus drivers across the West Midlands – and improved sickness and pension terms for lower-paid employees.

Unite the union has submitted its 2010 wage claim to Birmingham-based transport giant National Express as the company digests last week’s coalition spending cuts.

The bus company has already warned that the announcement by Chancellor George Osborne that the Bus Service Operators’ Grant will be slashed by 20 per cent from 2012 could jeopardise some routes.

Meanwhile, unions are pressing ahead with the pay claim to improve workplace terms for many drivers, including harmonising conditions for drivers at Pensnett Garage, in Kingswinford, where workers are on inferior rates.

Unite union regional official John Partridge said: “The increase we have put in for for the drivers at National Express is five per cent applicable to the basic rate of pay and all follow-though items, such as holiday pay, overtime rates and so on.

"Secondly, we are seeking an improvement in sick pay for standard rate drivers. There is currently a two-tier system with some drivers on inferior terms and conditions.

"Thirdly, we are looking for an increase in pension provision for standard rate drivers.”

He criticised the current scheme, adding: “It’s a stakeholder scheme for standard rate drivers with not very high company contributions compared to the final salary scheme for long term drivers."

He said Unite was also seeking to bring pay and conditions for drivers at Pensnett into line with other garages.

“Pensnett was taken over from an old garage owned by another company and drivers there have poorer terms and conditions all round.”

He said Unite was seeking a meeting with National Express over the pay claim next month.

Neil Barker, managing director for National Express Bus, said "We have received the claim and will be meeting with the union to formally discuss the detail.

"There are uncertain times ahead for the bus industry given changes proposed under the comprehensive spending review and the claim must be considered in this context.

"The union's claim is particularly surprising at a time when there is such job insecurity and many in the public sector are having their pay frozen."