West Midlands Metro: Disruption warning as tram staff strike begins

Saturday is the first of 53 days of strike action planned for the West Midlands Metro tram network

There are warnings of disruption on the West Midlands tram network as staff walk out in a dispute over pay.

Saturday is the first of 53 days of industrial action scheduled up to the start of January.

Unite the Union says drivers' current pay of £21,939 is one of the lowest in the UK for equivalent roles and want an increase to a minimum of £27,000.

West Midlands Metro said its pay offer of £25,250 was fair and warned of a reduced timetable on strike days.

The provider, which runs services between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, said it expects trams to operate between the two cities every 15 minutes between 08.30 BST and 17:00. It usually operates a service every six to eight minutes.

Unite, which represents more than 174 workers on the network, hit out at the continuing "skeleton service" which is said raised "serious safety concerns".

The operator insisted safety was its number one priority and "would never be compromised".

West Midlands Metro advised passengers to plan ahead on strike days

Further strike action is planned over the coming weeks and months, including Wednesday and Thursday as well as next Saturday.

"Our members are no longer prepared to accept substandard wages for the challenging work they undertake to keep Birmingham and the Black Country moving," said Unite's general secretary Sharon Graham.

"These workers simply can't make ends meet on the pittance that they are being paid by West Midlands Metro. Unite is determined to win them a better deal and our members have their union's full support in this dispute."

West Midlands Metro said it remained committed to "reaching an amicable agreement to avoid further unnecessary disruption to our customers".

It said its pay offer, which it claimed would bring it into line with similar sized tram networks in the UK, remained "on the table".

There have been no further talks between the company and the union since the strikes were announced which the tram operator said was "disappointing".