First Bus announces plans to close Helston depot

A bus operator has announced plans to close one of its depots in Cornwall. First South West, part of First Group, has said it is proposing to close its Helston depot in a cash-saving move.

First South West blamed the decision on rising costs, inflation and the loss of several school contracts in Cornwall. The firm announced a month ago that it would launch a consultation with staff affected by the change.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) is concerned that more staff in West Cornwall could lose their jobs as a result of the consultation process. First Bus says there would be no job cuts and every driver currently at Helston is being offered the option to transfer to our neighboring depots in Penzance and Falmouth.

RMT said the talks come amid wage negotiations with the bus company, which it said were “proving difficult”.

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In a message to staff, Rebecca Mantyk, chief operating officer, First South West, broke the news of the plans. She said: “In Cornwall we are operating against a very challenging backdrop of rising costs and inflation. This, added to the loss of a number of school contracts in Cornwall, has affected operations at our Helston station.

“It therefore makes sense for operations to be run from the neighboring depots in Penzance and Falmouth. This means we are proposing to close Helston station from 28 July when the school term ends. We will continue to operate commercial routes and all remaining school contracts in the county. , with the proposal to transfer all drivers to our neighboring depots in Penzance and Falmouth.

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“Our proposals in no way reflect the commitment of colleagues in Helston who have worked tirelessly to provide the best possible service to the local community. We would like to thank them for their hard work and loyalty.”

A member of staff, who did not want to be named, told CornwallLive that bus drivers are planning to strike later this month because First South West’s pay offer is not in line with what other operators are offering.

A paragraph in a pay negotiation document sent to staff and emailed to CornwallLive said: “If we are unable to reach an agreement on pay then further changes may be necessary but we do not want to go this way. please note that any industrial action and loss of income will only accelerate and exacerbate this and we are currently rejecting passenger carrier license holders and trainees who continue to be attracted to our current rate of pay.”

The member of staff said: “Management are using the Helston closure to force staff to accept 65p an hour more or threaten them with more closures.”

In a subsequent message to staff seen by CornwallLive, Ms Mantyk confirmed that First Group was unable to bring its wages in line with those offered by the competition because it costs too much and “needs to take steps to keep the business afloat “.

She added: “In our previous correspondence we detailed the company’s position and the fact that we are unable to raise your salary in line with our competitors and support the business going forward, but we hope that this will change over time. come over.

“In order not to jeopardize the future of the business and people’s jobs, we are taking steps to keep our business afloat. Therefore, excluding our competitors, we have provided a comparison of the local market for other leadership roles in various industries to paint a bigger picture. of the current climate”.

Responding to First South West’s consultation on the proposed Helston station closure, RMT regional organizer Barry West said: “Our members are very concerned about the future of their jobs within the business.

“There are concerns that the company is not committed to maintaining a long-term base in the South West based on their history of warehouse closures, engineering facilities and asset sales, including at Yeovil. We are also in salary negotiations with the company. which prove difficult.

“First Bus is one of the worst bus operators and does not treat our members with the respect they deserve, especially given the important role they play in serving the transport needs of the local community.”

Separately, the Unite union last month confirmed it was balloting drivers for Go Cornwall Bus – part of Plymouth Citybus Ltd – for a potential strike over pay. Read that story here.

When CornwallLive contacted First Bus about the issues raised by staff and union members, Ms Mantyk insisted no jobs would be lost, adding: “We are committed to serving our communities in Cornwall and continuing to work closely through our partnership with Cornwall Council as part of Transport for Cornwall to provide bus services for our customers in the county.

“In order to run our business in the most cost effective way, we are proposing to close Helston station. This will mean no job cuts and every driver currently based at Helston is given the option to transfer to our neighboring depots in Penzance and Falmouth.”

Regarding pay agreements with the RMT, she added: “Wage discussions with our people are ongoing and we are focused on reaching a fair pay agreement. Our drivers are paid above the national minimum wage and these are well-paid jobs in a rewarding business where people can build a good career. We are also improving working conditions, facilities and increased benefits for our people in Cornwall, such as well-being support and low-cost healthcare.”