- Conference
- 2025 Water, Environment & Transport Conference
- Date
- 14 February 2025
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes the ongoing bus reform initiatives across the UK, including franchising, enhanced partnerships, and efforts to improve services for passengers. Conference further notes that the first reregulation of bus services was in Greater Manchester, which completed on 5 January 2025 with the rollout of the third tranche of franchising. While these reforms aim to address issues of affordability, accessibility, and sustainability, they can have significant implications for the workforce, including job security, terms and conditions, and workplace rights. Trade unions do have a crucial role to play in ensuring that workers’ voices are heard, and their interests protected during the reform process.
Therefore, conference believes bus reform must prioritise the protection of workers, ensuring that no one is left worse off because of changes to service delivery or management structures. Meaningful engagement with trade unions is essential to the success of bus reform, as it ensures fair treatment for workers and helps identify potential challenges early in the process.
UNISON, as one of the trade unions representing bus sector workers, must play a proactive role and work jointly with other sister unions in presenting a united front on workforce issues arising from bus reform. The Greater Manchester Bus Franchise experience provides valuable lessons—both positive and negative—that can inform future reform efforts.
Conference calls on the Executive, along with the sector, to:
1)Monitor the implementation of bus reforms across the UK, and compile a report on best practices, which can be shared with branches to inform future engagements.
2)Continue to defend members’ jobs, pay, pensions, and conditions in all reform proposals and agreements.
3)Lobby the UK and devolved governments to make trade union engagement a mandatory requirement in any reform process or legislative framework related to buses.
4)Develop and disseminate guidance for branches on engaging with local bus reform initiatives, including strategies for negotiating protections for members and addressing potential risks.