Regional Bus Network Staff to Strike Before Christmas

Approximately 200 employees of a regional bus network are preparing to initiate strike action across two busy weekends leading up to the Christmas period. These industrial actions at Transport for Greater Manchester (TFGM) are slated for 12-15 December and 20-23 December. Howard Percival, a regional officer for Unite, stated that the planned action would lead to “serious disruption” and followed a collapse in negotiations regarding pay. Conversely, Steve Warrener of TFGM indicated that discussions were continuing in an effort to avert the strikes, but affirmed that should they proceed, “buses and trams will still run as normal”. A spokesperson for Unite reported that its members had declined a pay rise proposal of £1,290, seeking an increase that accounts for the cost of living crisis and “reverses the fall in the value of their wages in real terms”. However, Mr. Warrener countered that the offer represented an 8.2 per cent raise for employees earning the lowest salaries, and would result in all staff earning under £51,000 receiving a pay enhancement ranging from 3.1 to 9.5 per cent. He acknowledged TFGM’s understanding of the necessity to assist employees confronting cost of living pressures, but emphasized that this must be weighed against “a challenging financial situation in the public sector”. The industrial action will specifically exclude bus drivers, instead involving personnel in positions such as ticketing, passenger assistance, and information services. Mr. Percival asserted that TFGM had “brought the dispute on themselves with poverty pay rates,” further stating that a resolution was “in their hands.” Should the strikes proceed, Mr. Warrener indicated that there could be fewer staff available for ticket sales and station assistance, and certain facilities, such as toilets, might need to be closed. This situation arises as Manchester’s road network is already strained by increased Christmas demand, prompting authorities to advise the public to utilize public transport whenever feasible. The union has issued a warning of potential additional action if a resolution is not achieved.