The bus operator has announced plans to close one of its depots in Cornwall. First South West, part of First Group, said it was proposing to close its Helston depot as part of an austerity drive.
First South West blamed rising costs, inflation and the loss of several school contracts in Cornwall for the decision. The company announced a month ago that it would start consultations with employees affected by the change.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) fears several West Cornwall staff could lose their jobs as a result of the consultation process. First Bus says there will be no job cuts and any drivers currently based in Helston are given the option to transfer to our neighboring depots in Penzance and Falmouth.
The RMT said the talks were taking place against a backdrop of pay negotiations with the bus company which it said were “proving difficult”.
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Rebecca Mantyk, chief operating officer of First South West, broke the news of the plans to staff. She said: “In Cornwall we are operating in an extremely challenging environment of rising costs and inflation. This, along with the loss of a number of school contracts in Cornwall, has affected operations at our Helston station.”
“Therefore, it makes sense for the operation to be managed from the neighboring depots in Penzance and Falmouth. This means we are proposing to close the suburb of Helston from July 28 when schooling ends. We will continue to operate commercial routes and all remaining school contracts in the county, with with a proposal to move all drivers to our neighboring depots in Penzance and Falmouth.
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“Our proposals in no way reflect on the commitment of colleagues at Helston who have worked tirelessly to provide the best possible service to the local community. We would like to thank them for their hard work and loyalty.”
One staff member, who did not want to be named, told CornwallLive that bus drivers are planning strike action later this month because the pay offer from First South West is not in line with that of other operators.
One paragraph from a pay negotiation document sent to staff and emailed to CornwallLive said: “If we cannot reach an agreement on pay, further changes may need to be made, but we do not want to go down that road. it should be noted that any industrial action and loss of income will only accelerate and exacerbate this and we are currently turning away the passenger vehicle license holders and trainees that our current wage continues to attract.”
A member of staff said: “Management are using the Helston closure to get staff to accept 65p an hour more or threaten them with further closures.”
In a subsequent memo to staff, seen by CornwallLive, Ms Mantyk confirmed First Group was unable to match its salaries with those offered by competitors because it costs too much and “needs to take action to keep the business afloat”.
She added: “In our previous correspondence, we have detailed the company’s position and the fact that we are unable to increase your pay as well as our competitors and sustain the business into the future, but we hope that this will change over time. Come.
“In order not to jeopardize the future of the business and people’s jobs, we are taking measures to keep our business afloat. So, to the exclusion of our competitors, we have offered a comparison of the local market for other management roles from different industries to get the bigger picture.” current climate.”
Responding to First South West’s consultation on the proposed closure of Helston outpost station, RMT regional organizer Barry West said: “Our members are very concerned about the future of their jobs within the business.
“There are concerns that the company is not committed to maintaining a long-term base in the South West, based on their past experience of closing warehouses, engineering facilities and selling assets including Yeovil. We are also in talks with the company on salary.” which prove to be difficult.
“First Bus is one of the worst bus operators and they don’t treat our members with the respect they deserve, especially given the important role they play in providing the transport needs of the local community.”
In addition, the Unite union confirmed last month that it had balloted drivers for Go Cornwall Bus – part of Plymouth Citybus Ltd – on a potential strike over pay. Read the story here.
When CornwallLive contacted First Bus about the issues raised by staff and union members, Ms Mantyk insisted no jobs would be lost, adding: “We are committed to serving our communities in Cornwall and continue to work closely together through our partnership with Cornwall Council as part of Transport for Cornwall to provide bus services for our customers in the county.
“In order to run our business in the most efficient way possible, we are proposing to close Helston station. This will mean no job cuts and any driver currently based in Helston is given the option to transfer to our neighboring depots in Penzance and Falmouth.
On pay scales with the RMT, she added: “Salary talks with our people are ongoing and we are focusing on a fair pay agreement. Our drivers are paid above the National Minimum Wage and these are well-paid jobs in a rewarding business where people can build good careers. We are also improving working conditions, facilities and enhanced benefits for our people in Cornwall, such as top health support and discounted healthcare.