Nottingham Goose Fair faces tram strike action threat

The union claims some workers cannot afford to live in the city they work in

Nottingham's Goose Fair - one of the largest in Europe - could be disrupted by strikes on the tram.

The GMB union said its members on the network were being balloted on industrial action.

Staff have been offered rises of between 9 and 6.75% but the union said this amounted to a real-terms pay cut.

No dates or strikes have been confirmed but the GMB said bosses must avoid "transport chaos in one of Nottingham's busiest weeks".

The Goose Fair has around 250 rides and attracted more than 300,000 visitors in 2022

The operators of Nottingham's trams have offered a 9% increase for its lowest paid employees and 6.75% for all other members of staff.

About 300 drivers, mechanics, control room and ticket office staff will join the ballot with a result expected late August, the union said.

Colin Whyatt, GMB Organiser, said: "Striking is always a last resort, but our members have been backed into a corner by low pay.

"Tram workers are facing the harshest cost-of-living crisis in a generation, with many of them unable to afford to live and shop in the city they work in."

'Realistic offer'

Chris Wright, managing director of Nottingham Trams Limited, said he was disappointed at the union's move.

"We genuinely hope that GMB members will reject the union's call for any action that would cause unnecessary disruption for customers, and accept a realistic offer that is very much in line with pay increases in other key public services," he added.

The Goose Fair is one of the largest travelling fairs in Europe and dates back more than 700 years but it was cancelled twice during the Covid pandemic.

It will be held at the Forest Recreation Ground between 29 September and 8 October, repeating the extended 10-day run first trialled in 2022.