Workers at four Greater Manchester depots will still walk out from tomorrow
A Metroline bus strike will go ahead in Greater Manchester(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
Strike action by around 1,000 workers at Metroline Manchester will go ahead from tomorrow after talks broke down.
More than 2,000 workers who are part of Unite the Union were due to take three days of industrial action from tomorrow (Tuesday, September 30) until Thursday (October 2).
However, it was announced on Sunday that several Bee Network bus services which were due to be grounded by strike action will now run as normal.
Unite the Union has issued a further statement, confirming that four Greater Manchester depots – Sharston, Hyde Road, Ashton and Wythenshawe – will still walk out from tomorrow until Thursday, causing major disruption to services in the area. It is not yet clear which bus services will be affected.
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It comes amid a row over pay affecting workers at Stagecoach Manchester, First Bus Rochdale and Metroline Manchester, which are three of the companies that run Bee Network services under the franchising system launched two years ago.
The dispute is around pay, with workers believing pay offers do not go far enough at the profitable firm to address years of low pay.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Metroline has consistently put profits before people throughout this dispute and workers have quite rightly had enough.
“Bus drivers do difficult and important jobs and deserve to be paid fairly. They will have Unite’s full backing throughout the industrial action.”
Metroline said it was ‘disappointed’ that strike action was going ahead, and said they had put forward an improved offer of an 8.8% increase over two years.
Some action starting tomorrow (30 September) by workers at two other firms in the Bee Network have been partly suspended after employers came back to the table with a revised pay offer.
Around 1,000 drivers working for Stagecoach based across the Oldham, Stockport and Middleton depots will no longer walk out, while 110 Unite members at First Bus Rochdale have also called off their strike. Industrial action by workers at both firms was supposed to end on 2 October.
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Unite regional officer Colin Hayden said: “Following negotiations between Unite and these employers, revised pay offers have been put forward for some of the workers involved in this dispute. We have therefore suspended strike action to allow members at Stagecoach and First Bus Rochdale to vote on this.
“However workers at Metroline will continue with industrial action as planned as the employer has not made an offer deemed acceptable to our members.”
Pending the outcome of ballots, further co-ordinated strike action by drivers at all three companies affected could still go ahead, causing cancellations of and delays to bus services in Greater Manchester. Dates affected could include October 10, 11, 13, 18, 23 and 24.
A Metroline Spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that Unite has continued to pursue strike action rather than giving drivers the choice to ballot on our improved offer of an 8.8% increase over two years.
“Our improved offer, is in line with Stagecoach’s offer, who have agreed to suspend their strike action whilst the offer is put to their drivers. Our improved offer exceeds inflation and would ensure that our drivers would continue to be amongst the best paid in the country.
“We value our drivers and the work they do and our team has worked tirelessly to present an offer that meets their expectations. We remain open and committed to finding resolution and want to avoid further industrial action which disrupts the everyday lives of our communities.”
