Bee Network warns of further bus driver strikes

About 2,000 Bee Network drivers are set to strike again next week

Greater Manchester bus passengers have been warned to plan ahead for further drivers' strikes planned for early next week.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said drivers from some of its Bee Network companies - First, Metroline and Stagecoach - had announced plans to strike from 30 September to 2 October.

About 2,000 drivers took action last week amid ongoing negotiations with their operators over pay.

TfGM chief network officer Danny Vaughan said two thirds of buses in the region, including some school buses, would not be running during the strikes, with bus tickets being accepted on trams and some trains instead.

He said: "I would ask everybody to still plan their journey in advance, allow extra time and expect other services to be busier than normal, particularly during the morning and afternoon rush hours."

Due to the timing of the strikes, some services in the very early hours of the morning of 3 October may also be affected, TfGM said.

A full list of affected bus services can be found here.

First, Metroline and Stagecoach said last week that they were eager to reach a resolution with their drivers.

Stagecoach and Metroline said they had increased their pay offers to 8.8% across two years, while First Bus said "constructive talks" had been held with the union in the hopes of reaching a resolution.

Union 'won't back down'

Union Unite said the drivers working for various operators under the publicly controlled Bee Network felt the wage offers "do not reflect the difficult jobs they do and also fail to address years of low pay".

The union's general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Unite will not back down until our members are paid fairly.

"We appreciate these strikes are very disruptive to the general public but the employers and TfGM must change course and come back to the negotiating table with a fair offer."

The union said strikes had also been planned for 10, 11, 12, 18, 23 and 24 October "after talks between Unite and the employer failed to reach a deal".