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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:47 pm 
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2086652/Bosses-new-London-Routemaster-bus-fly-Poland-hire-drivers-turning-Britons.html

Quote:
A UK bus operator flew bosses to Poland to recruit 50 new drivers despite there being 2.6million people on the dole in the UK.
Abellio, a subsidiary of the Dutch state rail operator, claimed it could not find suitable British candidates to work on routes in central and South West London.
The firm went on a massive recruitment drive in former Soviet country to expand its workforce. They claimed that there were 'no suitable' Britons.


This is already happening I was over Finchley way a couple of months ago and I asked a bus driver parked at a bus stop if he knew a road I was looking for. He could barely speak any English and kept pointing to a box that was attached to the panel above and in front of his head. It was some sort of bus company Tom Tom. It told him where and when to go.

I don't really believe they can't recruit locally. I think it's using technology and getting a compliant and cheaper workforce.

2.64Millions unemployed and we have to import bus drivers (which is a very low skilled job) from Poland? A Dutch Company in charge of a UK bus operator? Whomever stands behind Europe with all this nonsense is a traitor and should be treated as such..... Take note Mr Clegg......

It really is time our Government cracked down on this nonsense. If that means us adopting protectionist measures (in breach of EU conditions) then bring it on.....


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:51 pm 
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Once again I find myself in full agreement with you geezer466.

Just out of interest, do we actually own or run any of our infrastructure or services anymore ? My gas, electric, water and mobile phone operators/suppliers are all foreign owned. Heathrow Airport is foreign owned, a recent tender to provide new rolling stock for Southern Trains went overseas. The list seems endless.

Its one thing to have competition, but I cant help feeling that we, the consumers, are seeing no benefit whatsoever. Moreover we are leaving ourselves wide open for future exploitation when the going gets really tough, which it undoubtably will do.

Grim :(


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 10:00 pm 
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British jobs are deliberately being given away to foreign companies.... All in the interests of this bloody EU nonsense....

1400 jobs sacrificed in Derby as Siemens (Germany) won a £6 Billion order to build the Thameslink Carriages....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13792510

Quote:
The government has named a consortium led by German firm Siemens as its preferred bidder to build new train carriages for its Thameslink route.
Siemens beat competition from Bombardier, which runs the UK's last remaining train factory in Derby.
The £6bn North-South cross-London Thameslink programme will require 1,200 new carriages.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-14019992

Quote:
Train maker Bombardier, which recently missed out on the £1.4bn Thameslink contract, has said it plans to cut more than 1,400 jobs at its Derby plant.
Last month, the company lost out to German group Siemens as the preferred bidder to build 1,200 carriages for the route between Bedford and Brighton.


The Bombardier jobs are not ordinary jobs but highly skilled ones which will be lost to and damage the UK economy for a generation.

It's high time the people of this Country woke up and observed what is going on around them.


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 11:28 pm 
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^^ My mistake, I wrongly said it was Southern Trains but of course you are correct, its the Thameslink carriages which have been given away to Siemens.

On the subject of rail contracts, what do you make of the HS2 project which has now been given the go ahead ?

The overall cost ( at current prices ) is £32bn, and the projected completion date is 2020, though for some reason services will not begin running until some 6 years later. The first stage of this project will apparently shave a miserly 24 minutes off the journey time from London to Birmingham. From all the figures I have seen its not a service your average commuter needs, let alone can afford to use.

Thats just the projected cost at todays prices though. Our Governments of various persuasions dont seem to be too adept at
accurately pricing overblown schemes though do they ? Its not their money after all, its ours. I dont have the figures to hand for the massively failed nationwide NHS computer system, but Im pretty sure that ran into several millions before it hit the buffers.

Then there is The Olympics. When the initial bid was entered the total cost was a proposed £2.4bn. Six years later and the actual cost is £9.3bn and rising. The cost of security alone has recently doubled to £553m, and the cost of the Opening and Closing ceremonies has also recently doubled to £41m.

On the subject of the Olympics, security is a big issue for these Games, and I wonder how many folk are aware that whilst many well qualified UK residents have been turned down ( or not even interviewed ) for the pathetically named ' Games Makers' roles, foreign nationals are being actively recruited and encouraged ?

On the face of it I dont have a problem with that, but its becoming apparent they are not being subjected to the same security checks, visa checks or levels of training required of 'locals'. They are appearing on sites such as Trip Advisor asking for information about how and where to obtain accomodation for the duration of the Games. I would have thought LOCOG should be taking care of that, but can assure you they are not.

I sincerely hope the Games run smoothly, and reflect well on the UK as a whole, but the selection process and ticketing fiasco suggests otherwise.

Anyway, Ive probably said more than enough tonight, so I will leave you all to ponder over it.


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 3:19 am 
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British jobs for British people, just try applying for a job in the brand new OLYMPIC VILLAGE, you could be a chippie,plumber,electrician or plasterer,waitress cook washer upper you name your trade and they probabley need it.

YOU WONT GET THE JOB because you have to pay the mafia thats operating there.

If you think thats biggited or racist just ask any of the long standing trades that you know especially if there ply their trade in London you will be shocked by the storys that are comming out of that place.


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 8:32 am 
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London United had a similar employee problem a few years ago. Because they were part of the French Transdev group they easily managed to obtain some French drivers.

It amused me when I heard that they requested wine at lunchtime in the staff canteen and were upset when offered tea or coffee or fruit juice. I know their daytime wine is gnats but it shows the dangers over there.

I agree taht bus driving is fairly low skilled. In my day the PSV test was carried out by police examiners at Chiswick and more failed that passed. These days they almost all pass.

I can state that in my opinion they are no longer 'busmen' or women like they used to be. Probably reflected by the relatively poor wages these days.

Arriva London pay about £10 to £12 an hour depending on type of bus and seniority.

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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:08 pm 
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Kremmen wrote:

Arriva London pay about £10 to £12 an hour depending on type of bus and seniority.


£480.00
for a 5 -Day week .is that bad ? .I would have thought that was pretty good.Image

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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:18 pm 
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ARTFTE wrote:
Kremmen wrote:

Arriva London pay about £10 to £12 an hour depending on type of bus and seniority.


£480.00
for a 5 -Day week .is that bad ? .I would have thought that was pretty good.Image


This would give an annual salary around £25,000. Given that historical mortgage lending is around 3.5 times annual salary this gives a potential mortgage of £87,500.00 add in another average salary for a partner (x1 as per most lenders calculations) then this gives an absolute mortgage ceiling of £112,500.

What sort of house can a person earning this sum buy to live in in London? Particularly if he/she and their partner are looking to have children!!

See where part of the problem lies? This is why (local Brits) won't take the work, to maintain any sort of life they cannot afford too.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:32 pm 
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This really annoys the hell out of me - We are a country that seems to be helping all and sundry from around the world with charity, funding and getting many out of the proverbial and we hear day in day out that we should be doing more, helping this country out of the mess created by our not so trusty banks and I read that Polish Bus Drivers are being employed to drive the new iconic London Bus.....Well done Boris, your a star.......Tw**


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:46 am 
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ARTFTE wrote:
Kremmen wrote:

Arriva London pay about £10 to £12 an hour depending on type of bus and seniority.


£480.00
for a 5 -Day week .is that bad ? .I would have thought that was pretty good.Image


And that is just the bare minimum for a guaranteed 37½ hour week. Add to that unsocial hours and the weeks where they are performing what is called a 'spreadover' duty where you can be paid for up to 14 hours a day for the week, plus the opportunity to 'work a rest day'. They used to be able to work both their rest days until Brussels put a stop to it.

I was told that a driver at Norwood earned over £40k gross last year by doing all the late shifts, overtime and work rest days !

Work rest days are paid at time + 2/3

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