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First threatens drivers with the sack over walkout
FIRST bus drivers in Sheffield have backed down from proposed new strikes - after the company threatened all 740 of them with the sack.
Drivers announced yesterday they were planning two more days of strike action - this Saturday and next Monday - in the latest twist in a long-running dispute. The strikes would wreak misery on commuters dependent on the bus for their transport to work.
But the company's South Yorkshire managing director Bob Hamilton sent a letter to all 740 drivers based at the company's Olive Grove depot in Heeley warning: "Everyone who participates in the action will be dismissed."
Staff were told they would have no right of appeal and would lose all pension rights.
The letter led to the Unite trade union calling off the action after taking legal advice.
First insisted although a strike would be lawful, drivers had their jobs protected by law only if they held strikes within 12 weeks of a ballot - but Unite balloted its members months ago before a series of strikes last autumn.
The now-abandoned strikes were called after drivers rejected proposals to resolve disputes over disciplinary procedure and rotas at Olive Grove. Unite's members are unhappy over allegedly harsh disciplinary procedures.
First had offered to resolve concerns by setting up a panel with equal representation from the union and management to hear cases if staff are still unhappy at the end of the existing disciplinary process.
But Steve Clark, regional organiser for Unite, said First offered to let the panel hear only a maximum of five cases a year and, in return, the union was asked to commit to not balloting for industrial action over individual disciplinary cases.
First South Yorkshire's deputy managing director Brandon Jones said: "We have done all we can to resolve this. The drivers need a fresh ballot to go on strike with full protection."
Mr Jones said the threat of dismissal for drivers would have been carried out and agency staff would have been brought in.
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
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