Bus strike

It seems that the Island's bus service is out of action again, supposedly because the drivers are attending another of their inconveniently-scheduled meetings. However I have heard that no buses have been running since lunchtime, which would be unusual, and apparently the Transportation Department is not sure when they'll be running again.

Typically, today was one of the rare days that I took the bus in to work, so it seems I'm now stuck in town.

Anyone know any more about what's going on? Is this a full-fledged strike?

» Apparently the ferries are operating as normal. Not much help if you live in St. George's, though.

» I have just heard that the buses will start running again at around 6.45pm.

Comments

[SmokingGun on 03.07.06 at 19:29]

"Typically, today was one of the rare days that I took the bus in to work, so it seems I'm now stuck in town."

Hmmm... Conspiracy?
Next time wear a hat and scarf with dark glasses....

[Bruce Kent on 03.07.06 at 20:32]

Does anyone have any more information on the bus strike or whatever it is?! Those of us who rely 100% on the public transportation system are at their mercy!!! I mean they coulnd't have given us a warning or whatever today on the way in?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!??!?!? I mean the bus driver was all smiles and chatty Kathy this morning on the way to work!!!! How about a heads up next time saying maybe we should get outta dodge while the gettings good!!!
Anyway, anyone with more information on the buses please post and let us know!!!
Should i send my taxi fare bill to the PTB?!?!?!??! ;)

[Adjustah on 03.07.06 at 20:50]

Still winning the hearts and minds I see...

[Martin on 03.07.06 at 21:28]

On a serious note, a back up plan could be worth exploring.

This is a tiny island, and I am sure that with a little bit of planning those of in the East should be able to pick up those who live in the east. Like wise for the West end.

Beats the taxi cost and - to take Bruce's point - why be at their mercy?

[Phil on 03.07.06 at 21:37]

Although I didn't hear any explanation for the walkout on the news this evening, I did catch Transport and Tourism Minister Dr. Ewart Brown grumbling about its potential impact on tourism.

But what does he expect when the Government continues to tolerate wildcat strikes and job stoppages without sanction for the participants?

[Rev. Goat on 03.07.06 at 22:31]

Sorry but the PLP made their bed now they can lie in it. Years ago they were at the forefront of union action. Funny isn't it when the shoe is on the other foot.

[J Starling on 03.07.06 at 22:34]

I had actually just gotten on a bus to get to Flatts when the call came in to the Bus Station of a meeting. The bus drivers on site deliberated with their co-workers about whether it would be possible to run a half service (the majority of people on my bus were not going further than Flatts), but mutually agreed that they could not do that in the end and all persons were compensated for their bus tickets (though many had passes so didn't take them). As far as I could work out at the time the 'meeting' was to be called by the mechanics due to a worker being unfairly treated by management (something about sick leave, but cannot confirm, though the media will reveal this in Tuesday's paper). The media and others have and will continue to portray this as inconsideration on the part of the union workers, that it will harm our economy. Yes, it was somewhat inconveniecing, but I arranged a lift to Flatts, and it is not that difficult to work out similar solutions. A bit of hardship, but nothing to difficult. But the workers have a right to defend their rights, and when faced with their rights being trampled on they have the choice of either defending them or allowing such rights to be trampled underfoot, thus setting a precedent for even more abuses by employers. Where would our economy be without a strong labour movement? For starters the vast majority of our people would be a good deal poorer than we are today, crime would no doubt be higher and more violent (I believe their is a correlation between poverty and crime), our tourists would be accosted by all manner of agressive souvenouir hawkers and be huddled in fortress resorts a la Jamaica. No doubt work accidents would be higher as well. Many of the rights we today take for granted in our society are the fruit of organised labour action in the past (desegregation, universal sufferage, public education, etc.), and we spurn this heritage at our peril. The workers have a right to with-hold their labour when facing abuse and exploitation - not many enjoy strikes, but now them to be a necessary evil. Get beyond the immediate slight inconveniences and do your best to investigate the causes, and from there decide whether the causes are just, and if so, how to support them, if not, then argue rationally against them.

[Guilden M. Gilbert, Jr. on 03.07.06 at 22:41]

Rev Goat,

"Sorry but the PLP made their bed now they can lie in it. Years ago they were at the forefront of union action. Funny isn't it when the shoe is on the other foot."

Yep, it is all because of the PLP, every industrial action and every problem in Bermuda is all because of the PLP.

Contrary to the opinions of some, the PLP does not and never did control any of the unions. Industrial actions occur after a vote by the majority of union members, not by the PLP telling the unions to strike.

[The Right Reverend Uncle Elvis on 04.07.06 at 02:04]

J, I agree with you on the theory of Unions, however, in my experience, the theory doesn't hold up to the reality... especially here. The Union's seeming modus operandi is to hold the island ransom with illegal strikes and unannounced sick days, often over issues where they, or the workers in question, are in the wrong. Not always, but it IS more often than not.

This is NOT what a Union is for and it's not what Unions are supposed to be about.

[Martin on 04.07.06 at 07:16]

"The workers have a right to with-hold their labour when facing abuse and exploitation - not many enjoy strikes, but now them to be a necessary evil".

Yes they do, but not until they have exhausted grievance procedures.

Or did they do that on this occassion?

Doubtful.

[busguy on 04.07.06 at 08:17]

Get beyond the immediate slight inconveniences and do your best to investigate the causes, and from there decide whether the causes are just, and if so, how to support them
Posted by J Starling on 03.07.06 at 22:34

As an employee I cannot aggre with you more.The matter concerned a promotion in the garage section. The union aggrement which is signed by management and the union was ignored.
The aggrement states that on promotions when ability is considered equal then seniority will be the deciding factor. In this case ability was equal but the less senior person was given the position.CLEARLY AGAINST THE AGGREMENT. this is not the first time this has happened at P.T.B. Put the blame where it lies.
Not the P.L.P. Not the Bus Drivers but in the lap of the Director of P. T. B.It is not the Drivers decision not to run the service but the policy of the Director that when a meeting is called that ALL BUSSES BE BROUGHT IN OFF THE WORD. The Drivers are sympathetic to the public inconvience and many of them want to work to keep the island going but as I said earlier the decision to work is over ruled by the Director. Beleive me if a look is not taken at The Directors method of operating expect a long hot summer with more stoppages.My suggestion as an employee is rather that bash the Government of the day email the appropriate party's in Government to see just what is causing all the problems happening at P. T. B.

[J Starling on 04.07.06 at 08:32]

Elvis, It is not the union leadership that called the strike, if they had we might have only seen a handful of strikers and not a total bus stoppage. The meeting was called on the initiative of the PTB workers themselves, and buusguy has detailed more information on that. As an industrial worker myself my first thoughts were that maybe there was a general industrial workers meeting and perhaps I should get down to the BIU. But you know what? The leadership barely knew what was going on, and was trying to find out itself. It is not the union leadership that determines union action, but the workers themselves - it is a bottom up democracy, where the leadership only maintians the day to day petty existence of the union itself.

Martin, busguy is the better person to answer on this one, but I will say that where the agreement is clear, any transgression of the agreement is satisfactory enough to warrant action. What is more democratic than all the workers in question being involved in 'exhausting the existiing grievance procedures?' The meeting was simply that, utilisation of the grievance procedure by all workers involved.

[Bill Cook on 04.07.06 at 08:37]

Why did they not have a reduced or staggered service first so that senior citizens and school children could be taken care of ?

I support trade unions in principle but it comes with responsibility and it should not punish the innocent which seems to be the case here, but thank goodness it was or is hopefully short lived.

Starling you say poverty and crime go together but not neccessarily as India which has much poverty has low crime rates but as a former shop stewart and a staunch union supporter I agree with much of your idealogy.

[Paradise Found on 04.07.06 at 09:36]

Phil - once again your site is more current than any of the "news" sites in Bermuda (RG, Sun). Someone here in the office was asking yesterday why there was nothing about the strike on the RG site so I told him to check LiB instead. Sure enough - first to the story online.

[Martin on 04.07.06 at 09:47]

Busguy...

Thanks for the facts.

[shipwreckedcanuk on 04.07.06 at 10:46]

Guilden,

Isn't the recently retired head of the BIU a PLP minster? Just because they aren't married doesn't mean they aren't in bed together!

I really don't see why anyone is shocked with this- this kind of action is bread and butter of the unions here. They have been trained by a generation of politicians (both UBP and PLP) who have either been too lazy or involved with the unions themselves to punish them when they cross the line.

Bermudian unions break the law and their collective agreements with impunity- and why shouldn't they since they never get punished for it. If the management crosses the line the unions have no problem going on strike, so maybe it's time for management to push back- hard.

No system works when one side has too much power. The balance between the unions and the management needs to fixed so that the rights of the workers are taken into consideration with the rights of the company for which they work.

[Bill Cook on 04.07.06 at 10:58]

Well said Canuk,

Makes a lot of sense to me, esp the maintainance of a balance of power or we have chaos.

[observor on 04.07.06 at 11:15]

The Union and unionized employees have two reaction speeds: full stop and flat out, with little or no middle ground. For this reason the public has little time for their complaints because they blow a gasket anytime something happens that appears contrary to their beliefs instead of following established grievance procedures and/or opting for other forms of effective and constructive protesting.

Until they wean themselves of the strike teat dock their wages and hold them accountable .... wait a second ... where have we heard that before ... exactly ... so who honestly thinks the PLP and the union weren't separated at birth?

[Andrew on 04.07.06 at 12:15]

Let me get this straight...the action was over the promotion of one of two "equally skilled" candidates. The less senior candidate received the promotion. The workers objected and walked off the job.

Shouldn't management determine who is worthy of promotion - not the workers? If management has decided that the less-senior candidate was a better fit for the position, then parhaps the skills were not equal. Maybe the less-senior candidate had better soft skills or people skills.

In any case, walking of the job for such a trivial matter should warrant disciplinary action.

[Zoom on 04.07.06 at 12:29]

But the other guy was obviously more popular.

Come on, this is not a reason to strike.

[Ali on 04.07.06 at 13:23]

Dr. Brown is absolutely right, this silly strike is a disgrace and I find J Starling's assertion that 'workers have a right to withold their labour when facing abuse and exploitation' laughable. Nobody is being abused or exploited here, what IS happening is that our visitors and those who cannot afford taxis and cars are being seriously inconvenienced by some selfish bus drivers. It's the same old story, as soon as the island's tourism gets going the Union wants to flex it's muscles. Come on Butch, you could stop this nonsense in 5 minutes. Do it.

[Phil on 04.07.06 at 13:35]

Andrew

Shouldn't management determine who is worthy of promotion - not the workers?

Indeed. The arrogance of the workers to think that they're entitled to dictate who should and shouldn't get the job is breathtaking.

[Triforce on 04.07.06 at 13:54]

Another reason why people won't give up their cars to take public transportation into town... unannounced strike action. And for a seemingly petty reason as well?

[busguy on 04.07.06 at 19:28]

Shouldn't management determine who is worthy of promotion - not the workers?
Posted by Andrew on 04.07.06 at 12:15

But the other guy was obviously more popular.

Come on, this is not a reason to strike.

Posted by Zoom on 04.07.06 at 12:29

Indeed. The arrogance of the workers to think that they're entitled to dictate who should and shouldn't get the job is breathtaking.

Posted by The Limey on 04.07.06 at 13:35

All of you just do not get it. I will say again ok. The Union and The Management signed a collective aggrement. The aggrement signed by both states that where ability is equal then seniority becomes the deciding factor. It is plain and simple both were equal so the senior did not get the job. Is that ro is it not a show of non compliance to the aggrement signed by management and the union ? Come on stop bashing and look at the fact. Is there a need to make it any clearer? Yes i agree that actions at the drop of a hat is bad but when it is done on principle as in this case then thank god for the union. As I said expect more as long as P. T. B. is controlled by the present director. For those of you that did not see tonites zbm news the director made a statement that " NO ONE WILL NOW GET THE JOB ".SOUNDS TO ME LIKE SINCE IT IS MY BALL AND YOUR BAT I AM TAKING MY BALL AND GOING HOME. Remember it will be a long hot summer and the worst is yet to come.

[shipwreckedcanuk on 04.07.06 at 20:05]

After watching the news tonight and reading what busguy and others have to write I think I've been overly optimistic about unions in Bermuda. What do they give us- endless threats, strikes over tiny issues, inflated pay... I say push every last one of these lazy, greedy idiots into a mine so they can work there a while and see the injustices unions are really supposed to fight!!

And here I thought that LaVerne Furbert was just some crazy chick, not the 'brains' of the operation...

Okay, time for a Mojito on the patio... I think I need to relax and chill a bit...

[RedOnion on 04.07.06 at 20:17]

busguy, I see your point and understand why you feel that the work stoppage was justified. But .... if workers can stop work when they feel aggrieved by a management decision, then shouldn't management have a right to take action when workers say ... walk off without notice for a perceived problem or a misunderstanding or fail to adhere to a 21 day strike notice?

It has to work both ways.

My final point ... does anyone at PTB care about the old folks who have no choice but to use buses and get stranded for hours? Since the action took place in the middle of the day with no notice, how hard would it have been for someone to quickly go around to each bus stop and stick a sign on them to let people know there was no service? I was out and about yesterday afternoon and saw so many people waiting for buses that never came, at that time I, like them, was unaware that there was no service.

[busguy on 04.07.06 at 21:16]

walk off without notice for a perceived problem or a misunderstanding or fail to adhere to a 21 day strike notice?

does anyone at PTB care about the old folks
Posted by RedOnion on 04.07.06 at 20:17

My friend dont get me wrong. As i said earlier I do not condone strikes either as the general public is held at ransom. As to your first point the bus drivers are not considered essential service so they are not bound by law to give a 21 day strike notice. On you second point it was a decision by the Director of P. T. B. to send supervisors to Dockyard St George and the New Central terminal to inform people and as we all know dockyard and st. george was for the sake of the tourist.I am on vacation and was in St. George when I found out about the stoppage and yes I felt bad for the people who were innocent parties at the time but again I say that until the director is held accountable there is gonna be a long hot summer at P. T. B.

[shipwreckedcanuk on 04.07.06 at 21:38]

It's going to be a long, hot summer for old ladies trying to do their shopping, parents trying to get their kids to camp, and tourists trying to explore Bermuda. How proud you must be, wielding such power against such terrible foes!

[J Starling on 04.07.06 at 21:56]

Wow, what a nest of reactionary vipers this thread has brought out in people. What a classic case of blaming the workers for 'inconveniecing' little old ladies, when the culprit was and is the direct arrogance of management in trampling underfoot a collective agreement! I suppose should the politicians strip us of our democratic rights and institute a dictatorship, those protesting against such despotic actions would be harmful to our tourism, would inconvenience Joe Citizen wishing to keep his head down and so loses all by not risking anything. It was not the bus drivers that caused the strike, but the callousness of management, yet you blame the victim, and chastise the workers (those who do the work) for the temerity to believe they (who do the work) have any right in having a say in how the work should be done! It would seem you have grown so accustomed to the status quo that you no longer see the injustice in it, and can no longer visualise the possibility for a better, more democratic world.

[The Right Reverend Uncle Elvis on 04.07.06 at 22:00]

"...It was not the bus drivers that caused the strike..."

Um... I think you'll find that it was, in fact, they that caused it. There are better ways to fight "injustices" like this. A strike should be the last resort. This was NOT the case in this instance.

[J Starling on 05.07.06 at 08:24]

Well, Elvis, I think we have slightly different perceptions on this one. I view the arrogance of management as causing the strike, you view the direct defensive move of the workers as the cause of the strike - kind of a chicken and egg situation? Yes, a strike should be a last resort, even the workers have admitted this (see busguy's statements), yes, it could have been handled differently, after all hindsight is tewnty-twenty, and in the heat of battle one doesn't always see things clearly, and both sides become reactionary as opposed relying on calm reflection.

[ken on 05.07.06 at 08:33]

I believe that the Union has a place in solving disputes etc however I totally believe that it was 100% unnecessary for all the PTB workers to come off the job for this situation. They could have had a meeting with the relevant parties, i.e. Mr Simmons (Director of PTB), union reps, and the candidate for the position. There was no need to disrupt the services for the entire country.
In my opinion, people are using strike tactics much to commonly, whether it be the teachers or the buses. And the unions are not helping the situations by supporting them.

[SmokingGun on 07.07.06 at 18:39]

"Hector never ceases to be amazed, and indeed irritated, by the amount of people who hide behind pedantry in order not to concede a point. The latest case occurred after the Monday bus strike that left commuters and tourists stranded across the Island. An angry driver shouted at the reporter covering their Tuesday union meeting – incensed that this newspaper wrote that drivers had “walked off the job”.
What could he mean?, wondered the hack. Were there some buses on the road in defiance of the strike? No, of course not. “We didn’t walk off the job. We didn’t walk out of the gate,” clarified the driver. Indeed, he stated the drivers were still hard at work at PTB headquarters – discussing their grievance against the management. Hector is sure that this news will be a great comfort to those left waiting in vain in the searing heat for a ride home."

Great stuff! Gotta love the logic of the union.

Aren't these the same guys who managed to rack up hundreds of thousands of over-time dollars and do it with a dozen buses sitting in a pile of ashes and their drivers sitting off watching Oprah?

Time we had some bus driving training for the Regiment?

[Teacher on 07.07.06 at 18:42]

Privatise the the whole lot. Who has ever heard of a state run bus service in these days. Oh maybe Cuba!

The 21st century should start to lap ashore soon

[J Starling on 07.07.06 at 19:19]

Ken - The work stoppage was called as a reaction to PTB management directly snubbing, that is, refusing, to meet with the union reps in ordder to discuss the greivances of the workers. The workers did what they could 'within the system' to deal with the greivances without it spilling into the public sphere. PTB management caused the work stoppage by refusing to play along according to the rules, necessitating the work stoppage. Hence it is not the workers who are to blame but the management of PTB. Is it that 'people are using stike tactics much to commonly' or is that management is spurning the in place systems to deal with problems adequately?

Teacher - How funny, I seem to remeber you being all in defence of the teachers rolling wildcat industrial actions not so long ago. Perhaps we should privatise the whole education system and make it so only those with the dough to fork it over can afford an education, and doom a generation of workers to even worse educative qualities than we have today. Throughout the Western world we can see the result of privatisation (of transport systems) - increased accidents, greater exploitation of labour, various forms of union-busting. The problem is not with a publicly owned enitity. The problem is with a system that is not publicly controlled by the workers and its consumers together.

[Teacher on 07.07.06 at 19:53]

I dont remember that i defended wild cat strikes. I think it was unprofessional.

Anyone who does that should recieve a written warning. Any Union who supports organsiing it should have their assets frozen. There are rules that must be followed.

Is that clear enough for you. I hope this will drag your mindset out of the 1960's

Increased accidents???

The last thing I want is a transport system controlled by the workers. What a joke.

where do you get that one from? I wish you would drag your mindset out of the 1960's.

if things carry on like this our tourists will head off to more exciting dstinations like Dubai.

I don't quite understand your dig at Private education. I teach in the public sector, i can tell you the public sector needs to take some of its failings on the chin. we always want to blame others. The truth is some of the failing are our own. There i said it! niow i have admitted that I can become part of the solution. I am sorry if you don't like this, but the children come first, not the defence of my profession at all costs.

[onevote on 07.07.06 at 20:21]

"Is it that 'people are using stike tactics much to commonly' or is that management is spurning the in place systems to deal with problems adequately?"

Maybe, Starling, it is both. I didn't think they were mutually exclusive.

[Teacher on 07.07.06 at 20:36]

Throughout the Western world we can see the result of privatisation ........

British Airways - A great airline - privatised
National Express in the UK (Private) - A great bus company, maybe they could run our setup.

[J Starling on 07.07.06 at 20:44]

Teacher - My apologies that I am mistaken concerning your support of the Teacher's strike. I thought you had come out in support of the aims of the strike as well as the tactics. My mistake. But yes, there are rules to be followed, as they were int he case of the bus strike until management chose to ignore the rules necessitating a reaction by the workers, as the teachers waited calmly for the collective agreement and their assorted grievances to be dealt with patiently, until they released doing so gained them nought. As for being stuck in a 1960s mindset, you've lost me. I was born in 1979, became politically conscious in the mid-1990s, and base my ideas on an analysis of the existing situation informed on by past history, nothing more, nothing less. In the Regiment we had embryonic soldiers councils, and the conclusions of these were equal to the 'Fir For Role' exercises conclusions - management (he officers/chain of command) refused our reccomendations and threatened us constantly with charges of mutiny, but we could have saved them all a bundle of money and lot of wasted time. Same goes for business. I base my claim of increased accidents on the experiences primarliy of the British Rail system, and to a lesser extent the privatision of the bus system, as well as experiences mainly in Ontario under the Bob Rae-Mike Harris era. Yes, our public eduation system has a lot of problems, but the teachers in it are largely highly dedicated, but slightly over their heads in that they have to deal with the end results of many of our social problems, but are mostly doing their best. I know a few who don't pull their weight, but I know many more who are supermen and superwomen in what they do. Yes, Dubai and other places are great from a business point of view, but they thrive as they do based a great exploitation of local and imported labour, gross violations labour norms and a generally despotic, semi-fascist government. Great for business, not so great for workers and society in general.

[Teacher on 07.07.06 at 21:24]

Thanks for your well thought out comments,

yes we do have some great teachers on this island!

I can not argue against your socially responsible mind set. It is commendable.