The threat of strikes on Manchester Metrolink which would have seen major disruption to services over the final weekend before Christmas and on New Year’s Eve is over after members of Unite the Union agreed to a new deal aimed at fixing longstanding problems with fatigue amongst drivers.
The dispute had been over the driving rotas which meant drivers had to work up to six days in a row without proper rest breaks. This then led to safety concerns around fatigue, with Unite saying their members were concerned about operating heavy vehicles whilst exhausted.
The new deal will see Metrolink committed to improvements by January 2027. This will see rota changes which include a reduction in driving time without a break from five and a half hours to five hours, the removal of six day working and the introduction of an additional two rest days. All drivers will also see their duty length reduced from nine and a half to nine hours.
And although the dispute was not about pay, it has also been confirmed that salaries for drivers will also be increasing. From 1st January a drivers starting salary will go up from £26,420 to £33,026 and then further increasing to £33,687 to attract new staff. Drivers with longer service will also see increases, for example a driver with two years’ service will be paid £34,500 from 1st January, up from £31,863.
Colin Hayden, Unite regional officer, said: “We are very pleased that Metrolink finally listened to drivers’ legitimate concerns around fatigue and came back with a plan that will go a long way to finally solving the issue and keep workers and passengers safe.
“This, plus improvements to pay, is the culmination of a lot of hard work from Unite and our reps who showed incredible solidarity throughout this dispute. This result proves again that Unite is a union winning for workers in the passenger transport sector.”