‘We are only human’: Bus drivers speak about why they are on strike

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Rhi Storer - Local Democracy Reporter | Tuesday 21st March 2023 8:08am

More than 75 drivers stood outside Birmingham central garage, blowing whistles and waving trade union flags, after declaring an indefinite strike in protest at working conditions under National Express.

Bus services are paused – and for National Express, a company that operates 1,600 routes across Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Walsall, Dudley and West Bromwich – both sides are engaged in a bitter stand-off over pay and their treatment in the West Midlands.

In an open letter over the weekend, David Bradford, managing director for National Express, said many bus drivers “didn’t vote to strike, don’t want to strike, and are planning to come to work as usual”. The mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, said it was “utterly frustrating” and demanded both Unite and National Express get back around the table to discuss pay.

Janice Arnold, a bus driver with 14 years of passenger pick-ups under her belt, says the strikes are justified. “I’ve had bricks thrown at my bus, and I’ve had lads spray paint all over my bus and even in my face. I’ve had to take time off work for that.”

Ms Arnold said she felt unsafe at work. When asked if National Express are doing anything to make drivers feel safe, she shakes her head. “We feel intimidated, and I don’t think the company are doing enough to make us feel like we can come to work and be treated with respect.”

Birmingham’s bus strikes are the first in 30 years, those on the picket line say. A quick Google search reveals bus drivers last went on strike in 1969 and 1971 – a time with a similar backdrop of discontent over rising inflation.

A ten minute walk from the garage – once home to Birmingham’s Corporation Tramway and Omnibus Department – is National Express’s headquarters, located at Digbeth’s high street. Coaches are running today – but only servicing a fraction of the million of passengers it usually carries every day.

The strike was originally suspended. But last Thursday, Unite, the trade union, announced it would still go ahead. A ballot showed 71% of members supported the industrial action, who rejected an “improved offer” of a 14.3% pay increase.

National Express has a shortage of around 300 drivers, Unite claims, which is impacting regular services. The trade union says buses that should be on the road are being stranded in depots.

Around 3,100 drivers in – but not limited to – Perry Barr, Yardley, Acocks Green, and Wolverhampton – are on strike. Until an agreement is reached, the strikes will continue indefinitely, according to Unite.

Steve* and Joan*, with five and 15 years of employment, respectively, say they take an “old-school” approach to work and only focus on staying safe during their shifts.

“The public are so angry with us. Some try to open the doors while we are driving, others throw litter at us and on the floor,” says Steve. “When we challenge people who don’t pay for their tickets and radio the company, they tell us to give them the ‘benefit of the doubt’.”

Joan* recalls many incidents of bus drivers attacked and beaten while on the job. She claims six youths attacked a bus driver on the Bristol Road, resulting in intensive care. Another time, on Birmingham’s most famous route, the number 11, passengers were restrained and repeatedly attacked the compartment separating the driver from passengers.

“If you leave your seat then the company say you are responsible if you are assaulted,” she said. “If you challenge a passenger for not paying they say we are obstructing services. Everything is customer first, but the company is taking a blind eye to the abuse we face daily.

“We don’t want preferential treatment. We are only human. We just want to be able to do our work. We don’t feel like the company treats us with empathy. Without us, they wouldn’t have a business.”

Last week, National Express said it had “benefited from strikes elsewhere in public transport in 2022”, as its passenger numbers were boosted by people switching from rail because of the recent train strikes.

The company made an underlying pre-tax profit of £146 million last year, up from £40 million in 2021 as travel plummeted due to the pandemic. Revenues rose 29% to £2.8 billion.

National Express has reduced the price of single tickets to £2 for adults and £1 for children until 31 March, as part of the government’s Help for Households scheme.

Mark*, a bus driver with over 39 years of experience, believes bus drivers are undergoing managed decline “through no fault of their own”.

He said: “I am proud to be a bus driver. I really am, but now there are days where I wonder if it’s worth coming to work at all. It’s laughable to hear National Express says drivers don’t want to strike. Look around you, we don’t feel valued, and we don’t feel they listen.”

Kasim Saddique, a bus driver, said many drivers work up to 15 hours a shift.

“We’re not being greedy. We are all feeling the pinch. I just want to say this loud and clear: we were hailed as heroes during the coronavirus pandemic. We put ourselves at risk, our families at risk.

“We’re not asking for much. When I come home from work, my daughter is asleep. We are fighting for what is our right.”

*Names have been changed to protect their identity.

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