RATES OF PAY & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2024 – FIRST SOUTH WEST

Our Ref: B/0001/FSW

 

6^th August 2024

 

Dear RMT Member

 

RATES OF PAY & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2024 – FIRST SOUTH WEST

 

Thank you for your feedback on the most recent offers from the company. Your representatives met today with the National Executive Committee and gave a full report on the views expressed in each depot across Somerset and Cornwall. Your National Executive Committee noted that the overwhelming majority opinion was to reject the company proposals and I have advised First South West accordingly.

 

Thanks to your extensive feedback, your negotiating team has developed a set of fair counterproposals which we have sent to the company for its consideration. These counterproposals are constructive, represent value to the company and to you, and are a reasonable compromise that can resolve this dispute fairly. The full details of these proposals are set out below.

 

It should also be noted that the latest offers from the company were received without any negotiations, that the company has previously sought to encourage members to break away from collective bargaining and that we have seen attempts by local managers to promote leaving the RMT to other unrecognised organisations to undermine your collective strength.

 

We remain available to meet with the company to discuss our counterproposals, however, we must make it clear that if the company seeks to impose a pay award without your agreement, we will continue legal proceedings against the company and we will consider a strong industrial response with an escalation in action.

 

Finally, your NEC has met today to consider allocating funds to your local branches to support those members who may experience financial hardship because of taking industrial action – details of this are to follow. Your Union is committed to supporting you in every way we can so that your pay award for 2024 is fair and reasonable.

 

RMT COUNTERPROPOSALS TO FIRST SOUTH WEST

 

Proposal 1

 

• £1 per hour raise all grades in the Collective Bargaining Unit, backdated to 1^st April 2024.

 

For drivers this means £14 per hour backdated to 1^st April 2024 and a £15 per hour overtime rate for drivers only from 1^stApril 2024

 

• From October half term 2024. Trading Conditions in return for new rates of pay for drivers of £14.50 per hour with a £15.50 overtime rate. 

 

• Reduced sign on / off time for duties if not doing first user check within the rosters of Somerset & Cornwall
• Installation of paying in machine at Taunton High Street to have as sign on and off.
• Revised sick pay arrangements for all grades.

 

• From 1^st January 2025 £15.00 per hour to apply on all rostered hours with £16.00 per hour overtime after rostered hours and all rest day working for drivers.

 

Proposal 2

 

• £1 per hour raise all grades in the Collective Bargaining Unit, backdated to 1^st April 2024.

 

For drivers this means £14 per hour backdated to 1^st April 2024 and £15 per hour overtime from 1^st April 2024

 

• From October half term 2024. Trading Conditions in return for new rates of pay for drivers of £14.50 per hour with a £15.50 overtime rate. 

 

• Reduced sign on / off time for duties for drivers if not undertaking first user check within the rosters of Somerset & Cornwall
• Paying in machine in Taunton High Street to have as sign on and off
• Revised sick pay for all grades

 

• From 1^st January 2025 £15.25 per hour for all rostered hours with £16.00 per hour overtime for drivers for all hours after rostered hours and rest days
• Reduction of working week for drivers. To reduce from the guaranteed 39 hour working week to 38 hours. Reduction in contractual hours from 39 to 38 

 

Proposal 3

 

• £1 per hour raise all grades in the Collective Bargaining Unit, backdated to 1^st April 2024.

 

For drivers this means. £14 per hour backdated to 1^st April 2024 and £15 per hour overtime from 1^st April 2024

 

• From October half term 2024 Trading Conditions in return for new rates of pay for drivers of £14.50 per hour with a £15.50 overtime rate. 

 

• Reduced sign on / off time for duties for drivers if not undertaking first user check within the rosters of Somerset & Cornwall
• Paying in machine in Taunton High Street to have as sign on and off
• Revised sick pay for all grades

 

• From 1^st January 2025 £16.00 per hour flat rate with reduced hour to 38 hours per week 

 

Additionally: On all 3 proposals, RMT would commit to forming a working party with the schedules department to endeavour to help find efficiencies within scheduling.

 

RMT is seeking that the company confirms acceptance of one or more of these proposals by 12.00 on Thursday 8^th August in order to suspend the industrial action this so that it can be put to a referendum of you and your colleagues.

 

I will of course keep you advised of all further developments.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary