Workers employed on the Manchester Metrolink tram system will strike over the weekend of June 10 and 11 following what the Unite union describes as a woeful pay offer from the company.
The 600 plus members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, recorded a 95 per cent yes vote on a 84 per cent turnout in favour of strike action.
The dispute is a result of Metrolink only being prepared to make a pay offer of five per cent for a 15 month period. With the real inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 11.4 per cent, this amounts to a very substantial real terms pay cut.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Metrolink is operated by vastly wealthy multinational companies that can fully afford to make our members a fair pay offer but they have chosen not to.
“Our members at Metrolink are frontline workers who play a vital role in keeping Manchester moving. It is incomprehensible that Metrolink thinks it is in anyway acceptable to further suppress their pay when workers are struggling with a cost of living crisis.
“Unite is now entirely dedicated to defending and enhancing the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and the workforce at Metrolink will receive the union’s unflinching support.”
The strike action will coincide with the city’s Parklife festival. Other events that will be disrupted by the strike action include Soccer Aid at Old Trafford, Roger Waters at the AO Arena and The Weekend at the Etihad Stadium.
Metrolink’s management has refused to enter into further negotiations on pay since the end of March says the union
As a result of their intransigence, Unite balloted its members for industrial action.
Starting pay rates at Metrolink are very low. Customer service relations (inspectors) have a starting salary of just £20,000, drivers salaries begin at £22,000 and engineers start at £26,000.
Unite regional officer Colin Hayden said: “Strike action is set to cause severe disruption throughout Manchester but the blame for this dispute is entirely Metrolink’s. It has not even been prepared to negotiate on a pay offer that was never going to be acceptable to our members.”
