I didn’t even know they were on strike but 16% is a win for them.
I would rather eat my own feet than travel on one of their coaches again.
Well done to them.
With inflation running at 10% to 14%, we all need to be demanding these kind of double digit pay rises, and something much higher if it covers a period that’s longer than a year!
Equally importantly, we need to be supporting every other worker who’s asking for this kind of pay rise rather than letting the wealthiest play divide-and-rule!
By contrast, I’m still in disbelief that the RCN have advised its members to vote in favour of 5%
Take the National Express when your life’s in a mess, It’ll make you smile
All human life is here, from the feeble old dear, to the screaming child
From the student who knows that to have one of those, would be suicide
To the family man, manhandling the pram with paternal pride
And everybody sings ‘ba ba ba da’, we’re going where the air is free
On the National Express there’s a jolly hostess, selling crisps and tea
She’ll provide you with drinks and theatrical winks, for a sky-high fee
Mini-skirts were in style when she danced down the aisle, back in ’63 (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
But it’s hard to get by when your arse is the size, of a small country
And everybody sings ‘ba ba ba da’, we’re going where the air is free
Tomorrow belongs to me
When you’re sad and feeling blue, with nothing better to do
Don’t just sit there feeling stressed, take a trip on the National Express
The National Express, let’s go
With inflation at nearly 20% I would say 16% is hardly huge.
That said – this is the power of a union..
Support them and join them, the only real thing we have to fight back against the wealthy taking more and more from us.
Ah yes, the good old Union. Nothing says white working class with a chip on your shoulder quite as well
When you read that’s a “huge” pay increase, remember that it’s less than the amount their food has increased in price, way less than their energy bills have increased, about what their mortgage payments have increased if they’ve had to refinance, *but* on the plus side, it’s probably more than their phone bill went up by so they’re ahead on that.
I don’t really understand why UK media reports pay raises without naming the time frame. If it’s 16.2% over 5 years, that’s clearly not huge. 16.2%… for how long?
What I get from this, is that the company could afford to give them a 16.2% pay rise in the first place, but instead fought tooth and nail to try to stop it.
16% is a drop in the ocean compared to the trillions pumped into markets and assets by QE.
Remember we send billions of pounds to the markets every week, let’s fund wages instead.
There’ll be some jolly hostesses on the national express tonight!
NHS offered 3% and teachers offered 4.2% the school budget has to pay for. Wow.
Honestly shocking how little bus drivers get paid when you consider HGV driving can run up to twice these kinds of rates, and they’re not the ones responsible for a bus-load of lives if they get into an accident.
Can’t complain about any journey I’ve had with NE, and they’ve got me out of some tight jams when trains have fallen flat.
I do find it funny that their coach interiors are plastered with stickers asking you to tip the driver at the end of your journey though.
Good on the bus drivers.
Meanwhile, teachers just got offered 4% unfunded (I e. The schools have to take it out of their own budget, which practically means laying people off) and a one off £1k.
Come on government, just capitulate and actually pay your public sector workers a fair amount.
Ok but can the passengers form a union? Because it’s them who will probably pay this
6% rise.
Only massive because everyone the Tories considers a pleb is expected to take a below inflation pay cut. They’ve also frozen the tax threshold to make sure any increase is clawed back as tax.
In the meantime the most wealthy have seen huge increases in their fortunes since covid.
Well I’m sure the the prices of tickets will be going up by at least 20%
20 comments
That’s the power of a union. Fight for your own 16.2% pay increase.
Not part of a union yet? Join online: https://www.tuc.org.uk/join-a-union
I didn’t even know they were on strike but 16% is a win for them.
I would rather eat my own feet than travel on one of their coaches again.
Well done to them.
With inflation running at 10% to 14%, we all need to be demanding these kind of double digit pay rises, and something much higher if it covers a period that’s longer than a year!
Equally importantly, we need to be supporting every other worker who’s asking for this kind of pay rise rather than letting the wealthiest play divide-and-rule!
By contrast, I’m still in disbelief that the RCN have advised its members to vote in favour of 5%
Take the National Express when your life’s in a mess, It’ll make you smile
All human life is here, from the feeble old dear, to the screaming child
From the student who knows that to have one of those, would be suicide
To the family man, manhandling the pram with paternal pride
And everybody sings ‘ba ba ba da’, we’re going where the air is free
On the National Express there’s a jolly hostess, selling crisps and tea
She’ll provide you with drinks and theatrical winks, for a sky-high fee
Mini-skirts were in style when she danced down the aisle, back in ’63 (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
But it’s hard to get by when your arse is the size, of a small country
And everybody sings ‘ba ba ba da’, we’re going where the air is free
Tomorrow belongs to me
When you’re sad and feeling blue, with nothing better to do
Don’t just sit there feeling stressed, take a trip on the National Express
The National Express, let’s go
With inflation at nearly 20% I would say 16% is hardly huge.
That said – this is the power of a union..
Support them and join them, the only real thing we have to fight back against the wealthy taking more and more from us.
Ah yes, the good old Union. Nothing says white working class with a chip on your shoulder quite as well
When you read that’s a “huge” pay increase, remember that it’s less than the amount their food has increased in price, way less than their energy bills have increased, about what their mortgage payments have increased if they’ve had to refinance, *but* on the plus side, it’s probably more than their phone bill went up by so they’re ahead on that.
I don’t really understand why UK media reports pay raises without naming the time frame. If it’s 16.2% over 5 years, that’s clearly not huge. 16.2%… for how long?
What I get from this, is that the company could afford to give them a 16.2% pay rise in the first place, but instead fought tooth and nail to try to stop it.
16% is a drop in the ocean compared to the trillions pumped into markets and assets by QE.
Remember we send billions of pounds to the markets every week, let’s fund wages instead.
There’ll be some jolly hostesses on the national express tonight!
NHS offered 3% and teachers offered 4.2% the school budget has to pay for. Wow.
Honestly shocking how little bus drivers get paid when you consider HGV driving can run up to twice these kinds of rates, and they’re not the ones responsible for a bus-load of lives if they get into an accident.
Can’t complain about any journey I’ve had with NE, and they’ve got me out of some tight jams when trains have fallen flat.
I do find it funny that their coach interiors are plastered with stickers asking you to tip the driver at the end of your journey though.
Good on the bus drivers.
Meanwhile, teachers just got offered 4% unfunded (I e. The schools have to take it out of their own budget, which practically means laying people off) and a one off £1k.
Come on government, just capitulate and actually pay your public sector workers a fair amount.
Ok but can the passengers form a union? Because it’s them who will probably pay this
6% rise.
Only massive because everyone the Tories considers a pleb is expected to take a below inflation pay cut. They’ve also frozen the tax threshold to make sure any increase is clawed back as tax.
In the meantime the most wealthy have seen huge increases in their fortunes since covid.
Well I’m sure the the prices of tickets will be going up by at least 20%