Just been advised by my daughter's school that the bus strikes are now confirmed to affect them too. Apparently quite a few schools affected. Creates a real problem now for me, as I have a younger one at primary school so likely having to take some unpaid leave now for 2/3 days, as a parent I just don't have any leave left after the school holidays to play about with. Either that or pay for a taxi which feels odd to me, or get her to walk the 4 miles there and 4 back in what is looking like possible storm weather!
Talking to other parents this morning and, whilst we may not know the ins and outs of the strike itself, I can honestly say there is a lot of anger now towards this situation amongst quite a few parents, and zero sympathy. Burnham needs to show his face for this one, the bee network was his baby. I don't really give a shit about who is right or wrong, here the kids and families are the ones losing out so someone needs their arse handing to them.
It's really difficult at this time of year. Most parents, with younger children especially, have to use their leave on school holidays, and the summer hols take a big chunk of that. By the time we get to this point on the year it's a struggle, for example I have only 4 days of 5 covered of the October half term as it is and I'm out of leave so reliant on a holiday club or playdate for the little one. Just no wriggle room.Strikes are a pain in the arse but sadly they have to be for workers to hopefully get what they are striving for. With a bit of luck an agreement might be reached before it happens. Can't a few parents club together and sort out transport, car shares, Uber?.there must be some drive their kids and pick them up, they could stick a few more kids in their car. The school should be on the case now trying to sort something.
It's really difficult at this time of year. Most parents, with younger children especially, have to use their leave on school holidays, and the summer hols take a big chunk of that. By the time we get to this point on the year it's a struggle, for example I have only 4 days of 5 covered of the October half term as it is and I'm out of leave so reliant on a holiday club or playdate for the little one. Just no wriggle room.
I get that workers feel the need to do this, and maybe it's deserved, certainly as a parent I would much prefer a happy, well paid, driver to ferry my eldest daughter around. As someone who drives a fair bit too, I also appreciate that it's a tough job and needs complete concentration, especially I can imagine for a bus load of kids, if not danger money given some driving standards nowadays! But when a withdrawal of service affects the kids it's a sore point and I certainly heard that this morning amongst parents.
For me, as I have a younger one to get to primary school too, it makes it much harder to get two kids to two different places, and this is the case for many parents unfortunately. And that's with my work being lenient but against a backdrop of us facing a 20% reduction on headcount, and we've seen huge increases in employee pay and employer contributions that have fuelled an inflation where were all worse off. So there lots going on for everyone. Loads are stressed, loads are worse off, so if any one group stands up and says "we want more" then its a hard sell nowadays even before you get to the why.
I think in reality I'm going to have to take both with me early to secondary school to drop off the eldest, as she has to be in earlier, then drive back to primary school for the youngest. Unfortunately that means one less space in the car for pooling anyway, but the only kid that goes to the same secondary school living nearby is an older lad who we don't really know so not sure anyone would be too comfortable with that. Either that or a taxi each way which is me paying about twenty quid out or something and no walk for the dog that day either, as we usually walk him to primary school, poor sod! Don't even want to think about picking up, that'll be hell with loads more parents on the road rushing to get back to work. But you're right, there should be more car sharing in situations like this, but there won't be. Everyone has their own situation, and many just have blinkers on for their own lives only.
Not sure what else the schools can do. They're looking at opening up earlier and later but their own staff have kids too. We've already seen school trips cancelled this year because they just couldn't afford the transport and parents couldn't or wouldn't support it. The primary school has said they'll consider letting more kids (younger years) walk alone home with permission, again not sure that the parents will be a fan of that. As school only started back up again in the last week or two, there are lots of very nervous parents and kids out there who are very unsure and the whole getting to and from school thing as it is. Many kids are entrusted with money, a card, bus pass, phone, a set of keys etc for the first time, plus they've got big school to deal with, and so it's not great timing from that point of view either, and I think that is fuelling some of it too.
It's only a few days and I'm sure we'll survive, but unfortunately there is a definite direct impact here of this strike for the kids, and ultimately on many families financially. So understandably there isn't much sympathy, instead anger, from many parents on this situation.
They will get a £70 a day payment if they turn up on picket lines.It's tough for sure on all parties. No worker takes going on strike lightly because they lose pay for the days they are on strike which also causes them financial hardship. Many bus drivers will also be parents too and so it will be a double whammy.
It's tough for sure on all parties. No worker takes going on strike lightly because they lose pay for the days they are on strike which also causes them financial hardship. Many bus drivers will also be parents too and so it will be a double whammy.
You get the feeling that the **** Burnham wouldn't mind a transport system like Londons that hold the passengers hostage on many occasions. and close the city on a whim.
My sympathy is with the poor bastards trying to get from A to B not the employees of Burnhams Buses ;-)
They will get a £70 a day payment if they turn up on picket lines.
You’d just be scratching at the surface with that fix. Families have different routines that would all need to be adjusted and coordinated. When mine were at school I probably knew about 2 other parents and that’s it. It’s not like the old days when mothers would all turn up ten minutes before the gates opened for a chinwag before walking the mile or so home. Kids are dropped off and picked up by various relatives, by various means, at various times. My kids had a 7 mile bus ride each way.Strikes are a pain in the arse but sadly they have to be for workers to hopefully get what they are striving for. With a bit of luck an agreement might be reached before it happens. Can't a few parents club together and sort out transport, car shares, Uber?.there must be some drive their kids and pick them up, they could stick a few more kids in their car. The school should be on the case now trying to sort something.
You’d just be scratching at the surface with that fix. Families have different routines that would all need to be adjusted and coordinated. When mine were at school I probably knew about 2 other parents and that’s it. It’s not like the old days when mothers would all turn up ten minutes before the gates opened for a chinwag before walking the mile or so home. Kids are dropped off and picked up by various relatives, by various means, at various times. My kids had a 7 mile bus ride each way.
I certainly wouldn’t trust another parent I hardly knew to transport my kids either. Could be a dangerous driver for one thing.
I’m guessing when the teachers were on strike the bus drivers with kids had a bigger problem then ;)Obviously there is no easy solution but people have four days to brainstorm some ideas. If one parent is at home personally I'd just keep them off school.
Every single employer in this country has the option to withdraw their labour if dissatisfied with their working conditions and pay. Even you, unless you're self employed. As I've already said, nobody does so for a laugh, or on a whim. They lose money they can probably ill afford to lose. Their strike will also impact themselves, their families and relatives too. Am i pissed off the impact this strike will have on me? Absolutely, as a none driver I totally rely on public transport. Like a lot of workers their pay just isn't keeping up with inflation and after failing to reach agreement they have decided to take this decision. I hope for a speedy resolution to the dispute.
I didn't say that they shouldn't have the option to withdraw labour I said that my sympathy is with the people who can't go about their business.
If you read what I wrote mate I blamed Burnham, the more putrid yellow buses there are the more powerful the putrid yellow bus union becomes and then comes the piss-take like over in the big smoke where they hold a city to ransom by closing down public transport.
Having the option to strike doesn't mean that the public should send them food parcels ;-)
I might be corrected on this but although all buses are now under the bee umbrella, aren't individual companies still paying the wages and providing the buses?
Straight from horses mouth. Standard practice in a decent union.I doubt that is true. Even if it is I'm sure the maximum number of pickets allowed on a picket line is six, brought in after the mass picketing on the miners strike.
Having worked for a bus company you are totally wrong that they won't strike on a whim. (IMO)Every single employer in this country has the option to withdraw their labour if dissatisfied with their working conditions and pay. Even you, unless you're self employed. As I've already said, nobody does so for a laugh, or on a whim. They lose money they can probably ill afford to lose. Their strike will also impact themselves, their families and relatives too. Am i pissed off the impact this strike will have on me? Absolutely, as a none driver I totally rely on public transport. Like a lot of workers their pay just isn't keeping up with inflation and after failing to reach agreement they have decided to take this decision. I hope for a speedy resolution to the dispute.