Residents throughout Greater Manchester have been warned to brace themselves for new year bus strikes as workers employed by First Manchester prepare to ballot over pay and conditions.

 

No progress

 

Despite numerous meetings, management have refused to make a pay offer which meets the workers’ aspirations.

 

The drivers are also balloting about ongoing issues regarding working patterns and shift rotas. Emergency procedures were introduced at the beginning of the pandemic, which members accepted, but they have become increasingly concerned that previous arrangements have not been reintroduced as passenger numbers have increased.

 

Low pay not tolerated

 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members at First Manchester are not going to accept low pay and poor conditions any longer.

 

“Unite is a union which prioritises the jobs, pay and conditions of our members and it will be ensuring that the bus drivers at First Group get the union’s full support throughout this dispute.”

 

Strike ballot

 

The strike ballot opens on Thursday 25 November and closes on Wednesday 23 December. If members vote for industrial action then strikes could begin in early January.

 

Over 350 bus drivers are part of the industrial action. The company operates from a depot in Oldham but strikes would affect services throughout Greater Manchester and beyond.

 

The workers have made it clear that they will no longer accept low rates of pay, with the hourly rate of pay for a highly skilled bus driver being just £12.40 an hour.

 

No reasonable offer

 

Unite regional officer Dave Roberts said: “First Manchester has failed to make a reasonable pay offer or deal with drivers' concerns over working patterns. This has left our members with no option but to ballot for industrial action.

 

“If First Manchester is serious about resolving this dispute then it needs to return to the negotiating table, make a pay offer in line with drivers’ expectations and resolve the problems over shifts and working patterns.”

 

Profitable company

 

First Group is the second largest bus operator in the UK and is highly profitable.  Its latest accounts reveal that it had a statutory operating profit of £224.3 million.

 

Notes to editors:

 

During the coronavirus crisis Unite is working to keep workers and the public safe, to defend jobs and to protect incomes.

 

For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite senior communications officer Barckley Sumner on 07802 329235 or 0203 371 2067.

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Twitter: @unitetheunion Facebook: unitetheunion1 Instagram: unitetheunion Web: unitetheunion.org

 

Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.