Translink: NI bus drivers to take strike action over pay dispute

It is understood the action, which relates to pay, would hit Ulsterbus and Metro services

Members of the Unite and GMB bus driver trade unions have voted to take industrial action over a pay offer from Translink.

The move will see all Ulsterbus and Metro bus services withdrawn for one week from Monday 25 April.

Translink has said it was "disappointed" by the decision.

A company spokesperson said they had made a "fair and reasonable" pay offer which included an enhanced package of conditions following talks.

Translink said all train services will continue to operate as normal.

Unions are calling for a 6% pay rise for bus workers across the region, but claim Translink bosses have refused to budge from their offer of 3%.

Translink said the company had made a pay offer of 3% "plus an enhanced package of conditions that included a 7% increase in weekend and overtime rates along with two extra days holiday".

The unions say around 85% of their members who voted supported taking the action.

'It's the last course of action'

Davy Thompson, deputy regional secretary of Unite the union, said he understood the disruption the strike action would have, but added that members felt they had no choice.

"Our members made the decision that they don't believe the pay deal offered is fair and equitable to everybody," he said.

"It's the last course of action, we have balloted three times on different options which the company have put forward, but they haven't met what we think is a reasonable expectation by our members.

"We're willing to talk to the company, we're still sitting here, we haven't had any confirmation of whether they want to talk to us or not.

"But we will give them our legal notices in due course about the actions we are taking."

Unite's Davy Thompson said he was prepared to sit down with Translink to resolve the situation

Mr Thompson said members relied heavily on over-time before the pandemic in order to "make a living", something that has been "decimated" over the last two years.

"We have seen a real movement towards this type of action by workers who are standing up saying 'enough is enough'," Mr Thompson said.

"We have been squeezed for quite a considerable time, we have taken hits during the pandemic, we want to move forward."

'Excessive'

David Cowan, Translink's director of commercial operations, said he thought the seven day strike was "excessive".

"It's the impact that we are going to have on so many people that I would really worry about," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme.

"About 700 passenger journeys will not be able to be made that week. That's people going to work, hospital appointments.

"About a quarter of households in Northern Ireland do not have a car so it's so important that we think about the impact of this strike."

With the strike planned on the week schools return from Easter holidays, Mr Dowan said keeping school services open was a priority.

The strike action is due to take place as schools return from Easter holidays

A Translink spokesperson said the company remained committed to "working with the unions to avert this action".

"We are disappointed to learn that Unite and GMB bus driver trade unions have voted to take industrial action," the spokesperson said.

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"Following extensive negotiations, we made a pay offer, including an enhanced package of conditions, that we believe is fair and reasonable."

In balloting members last week, Unite said the offer had represented a real terms pay cut for staff because of a rise in inflation.

"Our members working on the buses at Translink will have the union's total support until the company makes a fair offer and this dispute is resolved," Sharon Graham, the union's general secretary, explained.

Last month, school buses were affected by strike action as Unite members demonstrated over a proposed 1.75% local government pay offer.