Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

[126th street]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(24/06/2013 14:30)Polo Mint Wrote:  What about new drivers? Would be difficult for them to learn every route.

How are rotas allocated/chosen? I assume timetables are not permanent, but can drivers choose what shifts or routes they work or are they given at random?

My experience is that new drivers eventually learn all routes, but not at one go.

As for rotas and choices, it's a complicated thing and no doubt varies from company to company. Some rotas are more desirable than others - for example one which includes lots of short-distance town services is never going to have drivers queuing up to get on as such work becomes very boring, very quickly. However some drivers like that.

Other rotas might include longer-distance work, or only a handful of round trips per day, and these are normally the most popular ones. Others might include a spare rota - that is, drivers book on at the time as posted and are allocated work as and when needed such as when someone phones in sick. They might also be used as holiday cover.

Such things as school rotas, the really undesirable stuff, often have 'sweeteners' on there such as no late turns or Sundays. Equally split turn rotas can be Monday to Friday only as an incentive for drivers to do them.

Vehicles are sometimes a factor also. If a depot has a brand new fleet for route 123 then the rota which covers that will be more desirable than the one which works mainly route 234 with a bunch of 15-year old Darts, for example. Busier routes are often not as popular with drivers as those which carry little, the list is almost endless. That's before you get into four-day weeks against five-day weeks...

As for allocating drivers to rotas there might be a waiting list for the better ones. Alternatively when a vacancy comes up a memo might be posted inviting those interested to let 'the office' know. Either the most senior driver will get the position in this scenario or it can be judged on other factors. Everything differs between companies and you might well find that at Company A's depot 1 they do things a lot differently to depot 2.

[GmBusesNorth]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(26/06/2013 09:26)mbonwick Wrote:  Just the ex-First drivers at Wigan. They weren't happy with some of the Stagecoach T&Cs surrounding holiday leave.

There was an agreement in place that stagecoach tried to ride rough shod over and the union stood there ground! Wigan depot is entitled to stick to agreements made with previous companys prior to stagecoach taking over and not let stagecoach change there working conditions has per the T.U.P.E!!!

[ace]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(26/06/2013 07:08)motormayhem Wrote:  Just wigan depot ace.

Thanks. Glad it's sorted now anyway.

[mbonwick]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(26/06/2013 20:08)GmBusesNorth Wrote:  

(26/06/2013 09:26)mbonwick Wrote:  Just the ex-First drivers at Wigan. They weren't happy with some of the Stagecoach T&Cs surrounding holiday leave.

There was an agreement in place that stagecoach tried to ride rough shod over and the union stood there ground! Wigan depot is entitled to stick to agreements made with previous companys prior to stagecoach taking over and not let stagecoach change there working conditions has per the T.U.P.E!!!

From what I've been told it was never a properly formalised agreement, just working practice. Personally I don't see why drivers should expect to be rostered rest days before and after their holidays....

[GmBusesNorth]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(26/06/2013 20:51)mbonwick Wrote:  

(26/06/2013 20:08)GmBusesNorth Wrote:  

(26/06/2013 09:26)mbonwick Wrote:  Just the ex-First drivers at Wigan. They weren't happy with some of the Stagecoach T&Cs surrounding holiday leave.

There was an agreement in place that stagecoach tried to ride rough shod over and the union stood there ground! Wigan depot is entitled to stick to agreements made with previous companys prior to stagecoach taking over and not let stagecoach change there working conditions has per the T.U.P.E!!!

From what I've been told it was never a properly formalised agreement, just working practice. Personally I don't see why drivers should expect to be rostered rest days before and after their holidays....

Well obviously you where told wrong!!!! So you expect a driver to work sat sun have mon tues wed thurs fri off has hols and then work sat sun? Which day would they get there rest days and ive not seen many foreign hols for 5 days!

[mbonwick]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
You want a weeks holiday, you ask for 7 days off. That's how it works for other people who have 7 day rotas, so why should bus drivers be any different?

To make an analagy, this is like my mother (whos a nurse) saying to her boss "I want to go away for a week, but I'm only taking 5 days holiday, so make the day before/after my day off."

[GmBusesNorth]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(26/06/2013 22:55)mbonwick Wrote:  You want a weeks holiday, you ask for 7 days off. That's how it works for other people who have 7 day rotas, so why should bus drivers be any different?

To make an analagy, this is like my mother (whos a nurse) saying to her boss "I want to go away for a week, but I'm only taking 5 days holiday, so make the day before/after my day off."

A bus driver is contracted to work 5 days out of 7 and if he takes 5 days holiday he automatically should get his rest days!

CX54 Edit - Disagreeing is fine but let's not get into direct attacks upon other members.

[wirralbus]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
At Stagecoach Manchester , what is Sunday termed as .

Is Sunday classified as what some companies call Rostered Overtime .

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
For what it's worth, I quite agree with mbonwick. Those 2 rest days out of 7 are built into a drivers weekly duty compilation. They're rest days assuming that you're working 5 days, not assuming you've had 5 days off. Thus, if you want those two days off as well, considering they're already built into a normal working week, you should have to ask for a full week off and not just 5 days with the expectation your rest days will be slotted in around that.

It's the case for people in other professions so, with all due respect, why should drivers be any different? Beside which, if it was a verbal style 'gentleman's agreement' between First, the union and drivers, I'm unsure as to whether that's something the TUPE should be preserving legally.

[126th street]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(26/06/2013 22:55)mbonwick Wrote:  You want a weeks holiday, you ask for 7 days off. That's how it works for other people who have 7 day rotas, so why should bus drivers be any different?

Drivers are on rota'd weeks. In the majority of cases there are five days' work in the seven days of the week. When a driver puts a week's holiday in they are off for all seven days of that week. They get paid for five, as (bar rest day working) they would if they were at work.