First Manchester drivers to strike for 11 days amid pay dispute

A series of walkouts have already taken place

First Manchester bus drivers are planning a further 11 days of industrial action as part of an ongoing pay dispute.

Four more days of strike action are still to run in January, with the first planned for Thursday.

The Unite union has now announced a programme of 11 further strikes between 1-25 February, amid continued unrest about pay levels.

First Manchester said it had offered a "substantial increase".

Unite said about 300 of its members employed by First Manchester walked out in previous strikes on 10 and 11 January.

General secretary Sharon Graham said: "Bus drivers are no longer prepared to accept low rates of pay for the difficult and stressful work they undertake."

The union is unhappy with drivers' current basic rate of £12.40 per hour and the fact the company will not backdate any pay rise to 1 August.

'Extremely wealthy'

A spokesman said: "First Manchester is part of First Group which is the second largest bus operator in the UK.

"The company is extremely wealthy. it recorded an operating profit of £224.3m in 2021 and it has accessible cash reserves of £776m."

Regional officer Dave Roberts admitted strikes had already "caused considerable disruption" but said they were "directly a result of First Manchester's refusal to make an offer which meets our members' expectations".

He added: "Further strikes can be avoided but it requires the company to put forward an improved offer and to return to the negotiating table."

First managing director Ian Humphreys said: "Despite the efforts we have already made to meet what we were told were agreed demands, union officials have announced their intention to hold further strikes.

"The company has offered a substantial increase to £13 per hour, along with a lump sum payment.

"Industrial action has a huge impact on the community and damages confidence in using the bus, so I urge union representatives to reconsider their action and continue talking with us to resolve this dispute."

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