Greater Manchester bus drivers to strike in pay row

The Bee Network strike will take place over four days later in September

More than 2,000 bus drivers in Greater Manchester are set to strike and cause "major disruption" to the network, the transport workers union has said.

The Unite trade union said drivers working for various operators under the publicly controlled Bee Network have rejected pay offers ranging between 3.5 and 6% following months of negotiations.

Unite said members working for Stagecoach, Metroline and First Bus Rochdale had voted to take the action over the weekend of 19-22 September.

Unite regional officer Colin Hayden said: "Unite remains open to negotiations with the bus companies who need to return to the negotiating table with an improved offer."

"With so many drivers across the Bee Network walking out at once, this will be a highly disruptive strike that will bring parts of Greater Manchester to a standstill."

Transport for Greater Manchester said it was "monitoring the situation closely".

"Bus operators are responsible for the pay and conditions of their staff, and the specifics of any talks is a matter for them and the relevant trade union," it said.

"Our priority is to keep Greater Manchester moving."

'Cost-of-living crisis'

The union said its members working for Stagecoach and Metroline rejected a pay increase of 3.5% as it "doesn't address years of low pay, especially in the context of a cost-of-living crisis".

It has about 1,000 members working for each company.

Matt Davies, from Stagecoach, said the company would continue to work towards a resolution and was preparing contingency plans if the drivers go ahead with "unnecessary strike action".

Metroline said its drivers would have been "the best paid outside London" if their offer had been accepted, and that it would also continue working to find a solution.

Members at First Bus Rochdale felt a pay offer of 6% did not go far enough to address the fact that "they have been the lowest paid in the region for years", on £15 an hour, the union said.

However, the bus company's general manager Paul Townley said the offer they made was "well above inflation".

He said: "We are disappointed in the decision of Unite to announce strike action.

"The management team have been working hard to find solutions to help our valued drivers during these tough economic times."

He said industrial action was "not the way forward" and that the company was ready and willing to continue discussions "so we can finalise a settlement".