Hope Tenars' Stories: Arthur's Counsel

Once upon a story, there was a lady called Rosie.  

Rosie lived in Little Hampton, a small village that had a school, a church, a post office and a bus service to the main market town, Avenham. 

Rosie would often go to the main town to go to the market using the bus. 

It would pick her up at 11, and then drop her there by 11.30, and she would buy some fruit and vegetables and then return home. 

One day on her way home from Avenham, she noticed the bus driver was cursing and whispering under his breath. 

"Hello Driver" she said.  "Are you alright, is there something wrong?"

The Driver said, the bus company is reducing the number of drivers all of a sudden, so I have to do more shifts. 

It's just a change in the bus company, but it means harder work for me.

Rosie said, "Ah I see.  What's your name?"

"I'm Arthur, nice to meet you." said the driver.   

"Well Arthur, seems to me, if they are asking you to do more work, then they need to give you a pay rise?  Maybe you should ask them."

Yes I could do that, I will need to discuss it with my team of drivers, to see. 

Because we need to run the school bus and we don't want to let anyone down.

Arthur thought to himself, how can I talk to the drivers, and how can I ask the boss for a raise, and all the other drivers get a raise, and the number of drivers be reduced.

I know Arthur thought !  Let's have a group called the Driver's Counsel. 

We shall meet, and we can talk through the shifts, the patterns, and then approach the boss with a request for more pay. 

So that's what they did.  Arthur asked for Rosie's help to arrange the meeting. 

Thank you Rosie, said Arthur the day before the meeting.  

You really helped me out. 

Arthur and the drivers met the next day and they looked at the company plan, looked at the number of drivers, which were the important routes, and planned a shift pattern that would allow everyone enough rest time, as well as enough hours. 

When the company director heard the effort Arthur had gone to, plan all this, he was really pleased.   

He agreed to the plan, including the raise in pay, and the drivers were happy.

Arthur had done it.  The Driver's counsel, now had a nick name of Arthur's Counsel, and was really popular.

Arthur said to Rosie on the bus. "Yes, we are all happier now.   We have enough rest, and shifts for all of us, and we got a pay rise, even though the company had to reduce the number of drivers."

Rosie, said what are the other drivers who left the bus company doing?  "Oh, they have set up a taxi company.  so you could use the taxi instead of the bus, Rosie. Thanks so much for asking what was wrong that day, and helping me arrange the Counsel."

"Well, it was the least I could do, my pleasure - you know we are all in a community and that's what we do.  We help each other.  I'll see you next week for the trip to the market. Bye" 

Arthur smiled, and drove on to the next stop.