Driving a Bus is the Most Dangerous Job in Guatemala City
Submitted by Superman on 5 November, 2009 - 11:23
A recent Channel 4 Unreported World documentary highlighted the plight of bus drivers in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Bus drivers are being murdered at the rate of one every other day as part of an extortion campaign. One driver who got shot had been paying $40 a week - half his weekly income!
Organised crime on the buses has become big business and extorting money from bus drivers by rival gangs has caused a huge increase in murders. Bus companies have put armed guards on some buses but that has not stopped the killings. The bus drivers go on strike from time to time to protest but are mainly ineffectual and the violence continues.
The Guatemalan government is either unable or unwilling to stamp out the criminal gangs.
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TUBE UNION RMT warned today London Assembly members risk unleashing the biggest wave of industrial action on London Underground in 30 years after City Hall politicians lined up this morning to attack basic tube workers' rights including pensions and passes.
TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that driver members at a range of depots serving the Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan and Circle Lines will be taking industrial action in a dispute arising from the introduction of the new S Stock fleet.
In separate ballots conducted over the past two weeks, tube drivers, cleaners and TFL electricians and engineers have voted overwhelmingly for action in a series of disputes over attacks on agreements and working conditions, pay and threatened redundancies.
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:
'This is another blast of bad news to hit Jubilee Line users after the repeated problems with the fleet and the automated operating system.
TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that electricians and engineers working for contractors Mitie on the TFL contract are to be balloted for strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over redundancies and unilateral changes to working conditions.
