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HUNDREDS of bus drivers are on strike over changes to their pay and conditions at a Manchester depot.
Around 400 Go North West staff have walked out over plans to change their contracts, a policy the Unite union is describing as ‘fire and rehire’.
Go North West bosses say they need to modernise working practices to turn around the Queen’s Road depot in Cheetham Hill, which is losing almost £2m a year.
The two sides have been negotiating for almost a year but Unite balloted for strike action last month after talks broke down. The indefinite strike began on Sunday and is affecting all 16 routes operated by Go North West.
It is being supported by a number of Labour party colleagues including Rebecca Long-Bailey, MP for Salford and Eccles, and Afzal Khan, MP for Gorton.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said he has spoken with both sides of the dispute and wants to see it resolved.
Speaking to the M.E.N., Go North West Managing Director Nigel Featham claimed the company has been able to run a full service by sub-contracting the routes to smaller operators.
Around 100 staff have also chosen to cross the picket line, Mr Featham added.
Go North West say the package they’ve offered bus drivers includes a £5,000 up front payment, two years of inflation-linked pay rises and a guarantee of no redundancies through the process.
This offer was put to drivers on a voluntary basis and 393 of 474 drivers accepted, the company says.
However, they claim Unite would not put these terms to a ballot of its members. Around 80 drivers were therefore sent a letter telling them they would be dismissed unless they signed the new contract.
Unite says these letters amounted to ‘a cynical attempt by managers at Go North West to intimidate and bully workers and their families into accepting these inferior terms’.
Mr Featham told the M.E.N. there was ‘no other option left open’ and rejected the accusation that this was a ‘fire and rehire’ policy.