Video: BIU President On Bus Schedule, Airport
[Updated] Bermuda Industrial Union President Chris Furbert is holding a press conference this afternoon [Jan 29] to discuss the new bus schedule and the airport. We will have additional coverage later on, and in the meantime the live video is below.
Update: The live broadcast has concluded and the 19-minute replay is below
Update 3.50pm: On a related note to the press conference above, a Government spokesperson said, “The Department of Public Transportation [DPT] and the Bermuda Industrial Union [BIU] are close to completing work needed to address the longstanding issues relating to rostered night work after reconvening yesterday, 28 January, to review the draft roster amendments.
“Representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and Transport, The Department of Public Transportation and the Bermuda Industrial Union previously met on 11 January to discuss concerns regarding the allocation of night work in the new rosters for bus operators.
“Night work is not clearly defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement and as such has presented challenges for many years. After a productive meeting, it was agreed to jointly review the allocation of night work in the new 2019 rosters.
“The new 2019 Winter Bus Schedule, which the public can preview on the Government portal at www.gov.bm/bus, does not change. It is the rosters [work shifts] the bus operators do each day that are now being adjusted.
“The DPT and the BIU look forward to finalizing these changes and providing a revised start date for the new bus schedule.”
Chris is talking b/s -leah scott wanted to know what was happening with the new schedule and when it would actually start: something Furbert has failed to answer! SMH!
Oh and now this is just an MOU! No actual deal – wow, you cannot make this stuff up.
what is he talking about re the airport? seriously makes no sense – and why is he bothered? Why is he getting involved in something that has zero to do with the BIU!
Because he, the BIU and the PLP need a convenient deflection from their failed new bus schedule fiasco.
conspiracy? what is he talking about? It is a question of when the new bus schedule – the one he said at a press conference had been agreed – will actually start!!!?
Where is the conspiracy? Oh dear me ….
And where is the Minister? Why isn’t he telling the public when the new schedule will really start!?
Notice how teh Minister didn’t waste a second to be at the press conference when unveiling the new bus schedule as a means to take credit.
But he has gone AWOL and absolutely silent when it was revealed that it still is to be implemented.
Politicians are all the same.
And for Furbert will he stop whining and answer the burning question as to why the bus schedule that took 17 years to revise and $1.7mn of taxpayers’ monies is still not in place as of yet? Stop deflecting and answer the legitimate question.
The new (or any) bus schedule will get the go ahead once the union has manipulated it so that their members get the cushiest working schedule with the greatest amount of earnable overtime possible . Public convenience be damned. The tail continues to wag the dog here .
Do the airlines make up their schedules to suit their employees ? No way in h**l ! They formulate them and the employees like it or lump it .
That actually comes up from Mr Furbert. He states how the roosters are chosen and who gets first dibs. Even states why one was denied for 1 of 5 nights being a late night, ONE only one night.
Sounds like some of the drivers are reading the org chart upside down
I listened to the first 1 minute of this
I heard “17 years” twice.
17 years the BIU has been negotiating a bus schedule .
Have a great day Bermuda.
Given that it has taken 17 years and almost $2mn to do up a damn bus schedule, I would say we are damn lucky not to have the Government and/or their Union anywhere near the construction of our new airport.
What I most admire about the biu/plp is that the majority of people negatively affected by their mismanagement are the ones that put them in power!
17 years for a damn bus schedule. That is a disgrace.
The Union insists on doing things correctly…unless THEY don’t want to.
What a bunch of jokers.
17 years!!? School kids could have earned a Doctorate is bus scheduling in that length of time and for less money. Heck, could have become a brain surgeon in that length of time.
How is this acceptable?
24 – 12 I guess.
the unions will drive Bermuda into an disaster
More so than they already have ? What happened to the cost of living after 1981 ? You inadvertently make it sound like they haven’t had any affect yet.
Watch the interview if you can. Mr Furbert explains some of the inner workings of PTB and driver considerations. Looks like a new CBA maybe needed to update with the changing times.
More amused that the December 2nd protest was now about the airport. (min 8) starts the airport “update”
Watched about 1 minute that was all I could stomach.
When can we expect a more rational leader of the B.I.U. ?
LOL 17 years on a bus schedule..imagine the time to get a new CBA. Although there is nothing collective about it when the government is required to follow it and the union is not.
the only good thing the BIU has done is make other unions around the world look competent.
Need a translator
Maybe onion juice could chime in and translate for us.
Someone who understands Elmer Fudd.
Everyone involved with the new bus schedule taking 17 years to implement needs to resign and should be totally embarrassed over the entire process which is a disgrace. Only the BIU could be proud of this fact?
Chris Furbert should stay out of politics and speak for the BIU only.
But as he brought it up, The Premier chatted about what the purported total cost of the new airport would be to win the election and if he had been telling the truth it would have made sense to break the contract. The PLP didn’t break the contract because the cost was likely much lower than what they were saying all along.
Why is Chris Furbert worrying about Jet Gate and $130,000. He should be worrying about the $800 million that went unaccounted for under the PLP administration. The sad truth is the people that voted in the PLP in 1998 and subsequent elections and again in 2017 are the ones that are going to suffer the most as a result of the PLP’s mismanagement of the People’s money.
Captain Clown Car has been quiet lately. Couldn’t call all the brothers and sisters in for the camera shot cause they might melt in the rain.
Furbert is hilarious. Someone needs to clock how many times he mentions ‘December 2nd’, ‘People’s mandate’, ’25-11′, ‘barricading the house’, etc, etc. in his speeches. He sounds like a broken record, trotting out all the greatest hits, like our buddy to the west!
And 17 years to get a bus schedule done, 13 of which were under the PLP government?? Well done Chris, you just highlighted your own party’s incompetence.
He may also be the most defensive person I’ve ever heard speak. Talk ill of the union, the PLP, or, god forbid, him, and he turns on you in a heartbeat. I imagine even the simplest things, like ordering a meal, must be an ordeal for this guy.
‘Mr Furbert, here’s your sandwich.’
‘What sandwich? Who ordered that? I’ve never seen something like that before’
Bermuda is DOOMED
Brother Chris lost the plot huh
Just pure BS!
Ya boy says “17 years” like it’s some kind of accomplishment.
17 years for a bus schedule is ridiculous and a waste of time and money.
this guy should be on Top Gear,stuck in reverse.
If the schedule did not meet the needs reasonably well for a minumum period of five years, then one has to ask has the g eneral trends flip flopped constantly, and if so why, i.e. 8,000 workers left the Island in the past 6 months resulting in a shrinking need between 7pm and mid night.
I’m sure minister robain will have something to say, just hot air but I’m sure he’ll be boring the news tonight.
The reason the schedule is 17 years in the making is because they all,wannn work 9/5 that it
Just went on line and found bus schedule templates-easy peasy
Is he speaking in English??
These guys should be spin instructors.
don’t need a new ROOSTER or SCHEDULE need correct and proper maintenance and repair under an organized systematic approach by qualified factory trained mechanics that have adequate spare parts.
That new Director … I thought he had it all figured out ..
Who, Zane?
Some people have given him more authority than he knows what to do with. Projects that have nothing to do with you or your striking minions need be no concern of your union. Incompetence at its absolute worst.
It has taken 17 years and we still have yet to agree if the night shift should begin at 8pm or 10 pm .
What a mess. It would be laughable if he didn’t direct the PLP. Meaningless, incoherent rambling….
Where’s that wascally wabbit?
What has this to do with male chickens? At least two people going on about ‘roosters’!
There appear to be two main issues , 1. Is the ability to provide adequate transportation and 2. Is ensuring that the evening shifts are distributed fairly. I have worked shift work for many years including week ends, the needs of the people are important to meet, we don’t wanna be away from our families neither do we want to put up with unruly and violent passengers. If there are evening shifts available, and you need drivers, put it out there.
If you don’t work shift work that could require you to work weekends or nights then don’t take a shift work job. Simple.
Hire guest workers to drive the evening shifts. Problem solved.
Mr.Furbert uka open bat for me anytime. !
This is like the pisode of the magic school bus where the driver shows up to work and there was no bus. The boss said that they’re working on a new rooster and schedule but don’t worry it may take days or weeks or even years but you’ll get paid every cent.
Unfortunately the children had to work home from school day in and day out.
Wait this sounds just like Bermuda.