Lothian Buses Christmas bus strike could go ahead unless management backs down or cuts a deal with union – Steve Cardownie

Yesterday’s Evening News reported that “bus drivers are to vote on possible industrial action in a move which could pave the way for strikes in the run-up to Christmas”.

Lothian Buses staff are to be balloted on strike action (Picture: Andrew O'Brien)

Drivers are demanding an end to the shift pattern they agreed to at the height of the Covid pandemic which was introduced to combat the fall in revenue and a shortage of drivers.

The deal was that the original shift patterns would be re-introduced on April 1 next year but a recent union branch meeting voted in favour re-introducing them immediately as the situation was back to normal.

This has led to a ballot being called to test the mood of the membership and to see if they would take strike action to achieve their demands.

Given the history of the relationship between Lothian Buses management and the trade union membership, it would be a brave person indeed who predicts that the union will back off.

It didn’t back off a couple of years ago when 91 per cent of the membership voted in a formal ballot for industrial action and it is extremely unlikely that they will do so now, so the city could be in for a disruptive winter if management doesn’t back down or a compromise is not reached.

If management dispute the union’s claims that things are back to normal, surely all they have to do is open the books and demonstrate that income and passenger numbers are still down.

Union members will have no desire to jeopardise the future of the company but it must be demonstrated that things are not yet up to speed.

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