Manchester Braces for 'Serious' Travel Disruption as Over 2,000 Bee Network Bus Drivers Announce Four-Day Strike
Greater Manchester – Commuters across Greater Manchester are facing significant travel disruption later this month as more than 2,000 Bee Network bus drivers are set to walk out in a four-day strike over a pay dispute.
.jpg)
The industrial action, announced by Unite the Union, will see workers from Stagecoach, Metroline Manchester, and First Bus Rochdale, strike from Friday, September 19th to Monday, September 22nd. The union has warned the walkout will cause 'serious disruption to bus services' across the region.
The dispute centres on pay offers that Unite says are inadequate amid the ongoing cost of living crisis and follow years of low pay. The three companies involved all operate services under the recently introduced Bee Network franchising system.
At Stagecoach, approximately 1,000 drivers based at depots in Oldham, Stockport, and Middleton have rejected a 3.5% pay increase. A similar offer of 3.5% was also turned down by around 1,000 workers at Metroline Manchester, which operates from the Sharston, Hyde Road, Ashton, and Wythenshawe depots.
Unite has branded the offers, "unsatisfactory", highlighting that with the most recent rate of UK inflation at 3.8%, the proposals amount to a real-terms pay cut for its members.
Meanwhile, at First Bus Rochdale, 110 members rejected a higher pay offer of 6%. Unite claims the offer, "does not go far enough", to address the fact that these workers have historically been paid less than their counterparts at other companies and remain the lowest paid in the region.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham vowed the union's full support for the striking workers. "All of the firms involved in this dispute are highly profitable - but their workers are being denied a fair wage while their employers line their pockets", she said.
"Our members have agreed this is unacceptable and have unequivocally voted to strike. They have Unite’s full backing throughout the whole of this dispute".
The timing of the co-ordinated strikes is set to cause maximum disruption, falling across days packed with major events in the city. On Friday, September 19th, comedian Peter Kay is scheduled to perform at the AO Arena while singer Tom Grennan plays at Co-op Live. The following evening, Manchester United will host Chelsea for a major Premier League clash at Old Trafford on September 20th, an event that draws tens of thousands of spectators, many of whom rely on public transport.
The action in Manchester is part of a wider trend of industrial unrest, with bus workers in other parts of the country also taking part in strikes over pay rows with their employers.
.jpg)
The industrial action, announced by Unite the Union, will see workers from Stagecoach, Metroline Manchester, and First Bus Rochdale, strike from Friday, September 19th to Monday, September 22nd. The union has warned the walkout will cause 'serious disruption to bus services' across the region.
The dispute centres on pay offers that Unite says are inadequate amid the ongoing cost of living crisis and follow years of low pay. The three companies involved all operate services under the recently introduced Bee Network franchising system.
At Stagecoach, approximately 1,000 drivers based at depots in Oldham, Stockport, and Middleton have rejected a 3.5% pay increase. A similar offer of 3.5% was also turned down by around 1,000 workers at Metroline Manchester, which operates from the Sharston, Hyde Road, Ashton, and Wythenshawe depots.
Unite has branded the offers, "unsatisfactory", highlighting that with the most recent rate of UK inflation at 3.8%, the proposals amount to a real-terms pay cut for its members.
Meanwhile, at First Bus Rochdale, 110 members rejected a higher pay offer of 6%. Unite claims the offer, "does not go far enough", to address the fact that these workers have historically been paid less than their counterparts at other companies and remain the lowest paid in the region.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham vowed the union's full support for the striking workers. "All of the firms involved in this dispute are highly profitable - but their workers are being denied a fair wage while their employers line their pockets", she said.
"Our members have agreed this is unacceptable and have unequivocally voted to strike. They have Unite’s full backing throughout the whole of this dispute".
The timing of the co-ordinated strikes is set to cause maximum disruption, falling across days packed with major events in the city. On Friday, September 19th, comedian Peter Kay is scheduled to perform at the AO Arena while singer Tom Grennan plays at Co-op Live. The following evening, Manchester United will host Chelsea for a major Premier League clash at Old Trafford on September 20th, an event that draws tens of thousands of spectators, many of whom rely on public transport.
The action in Manchester is part of a wider trend of industrial unrest, with bus workers in other parts of the country also taking part in strikes over pay rows with their employers.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Comments
Send your story in to editor@rochdalevaliant.uk
Post a Comment