The GMB Union have confirmed that their members working on Nottingham Express Transit have accepted the latest pay offer made to them by management which has led to the planned strikes due to start on Friday 29th September for ten days being cancelled. Media reports suggest that the new pay offer will see wages increase by 10%.
Strike action had originally been called after an initial pay offer of between 6.75% and 9% was rejected (lower earners would have been rewarded with the higher increase) with officials from the union saying that many of the staff working on the system could not afford to live in the city because of rising costs. For their part Nottingham Trams Limited had responded to say that this pay rise would have meant that pay had increased by 21% since the pandemic.
Strike action was called for ten days from 29th September which would have caused major disruption to the network at the busiest time of the year during the Goose Fair which takes place at the Forest Recreation Ground.
However, negotiations continued and the revised offer of 10% has now been accepted leading to the strikes being cancelled in full.
Colin Whyatt, GMB Organiser, said: “Nottingham’s tram workers have stood together and won the pay and recognition they deserve. Our tram network is unique and a real asset to the city and our community. This is only possible because of the hard work and dedication of the staff who keep the network running day in and day out. Goose Fair strikes would have caused massive travel distribution across the city. It’s a shame that, despite considerable efforts from GMB, it’s taken the company this long to resolve the issue of low pay on Nottingham’s trams.”
Managing Director of Nottingham Trams, Chris Wright, commented: “We are pleased that GMB members have accepted our latest pay offer, and that the union has agreed to call off its planned industrial action during Nottingham’s Goose Fair. We can now focus all our efforts on delivering the best possible service to customers during one of the busiest times of the year.”