Manchester Bee Network Metroline bus strike to go ahead

Strike action by around 1,000 Unite members working at Metroline Manchester will go ahead from tomorrow, after talks broke down.

Workers at the following depots: Sharston, Hyde Road, Ashton and Wythenshawe will still walk out from tomorrow (September 30) to October 2, causing major disruption to services in the area. 

The dispute is around pay, with workers believing pay offers do not go far enough at the profitable firm to address years of low pay. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Metroline has consistently put profits before people throughout this dispute and workers have quite rightly had enough. 

"Bus drivers do difficult and important jobs and deserve to be paid fairly. They will have Unite's full backing throughout the industrial action." 

Metroline is part of Manchester's integrated transport system the Bee Network. Some action starting tomorrow (September 30) by workers at two other firms in the Bee Network have been partly suspended, after the employers came back to the table with a revised pay offer. 

Around 1,000 drivers working for Stagecoach based across the Oldham, Stockport and Middleton depots will no longer walk out, while 110 Unite members at First Bus Rochdale have also called off their strike. Industrial action by workers at both firms was supposed to end on 2 October. 

Unite regional officer Colin Hayden said: "Following negotiations between Unite and these employers, revised pay offers have been put forward for some of the workers involved in this dispute. We have therefore suspended strike action to allow members at Stagecoach and First Bus Rochdale to vote on this. 

"However workers at Metroline will continue with industrial action as planned as the employer has not made an offer deemed acceptable to our members." 

Pending the outcome of ballots, the further co-ordinated strike action announced on October 10, 11, 13, 18, 23 and 24 by drivers at all three companies affected could still go ahead, causing cancellations of and delays to bus services in Greater Manchester. 

The below services in Oldham will not operate:

Bee Network Bus Services

76 - Manchester - Failsworth - Limeside - Oldham
76A - Manchester - Oldham
76B - Manchester - Newton Heath - Woodhouses

The below services in Tameside will not operate:

Bee Network Bus Services

• 7 - Stockport - Reddish - Droylsden - Ashton
• 201 - Hattersley - Hyde - Denton - Manchester
• 202 - Gee Cross - Hyde - Haughton Green - Manchester
• 216 - Manchester - Clayton - Droylsden - Ashton
• 219 - Stalybridge - Ashton - Openshaw - Manchester
• 219N - Stalybridge - Ashton - Openshaw - Manchester
• 220 - Manchester - Dukinfield - Stalybridge
• 221 - Dukinfield - Audenshaw - Openshaw - Manchester
• 230 - Ashton-under-Lyne - Droylsden - Piccadilly Gardens
• 231 - Ashton-under-Lyne - Hurst - Droylsden - Piccadilly Gardens
• 237 - Ashton - Stalybridge - Glossop
• 336 - Ashton - Hazelhurst - Ashton Circular
• 337 - Ashton - Hazelhurst - Ashton Circular
• 346 - Hyde - Ashton
• 347 - Ashton - Denton - Haughton Green Circular
• 389 - Ashton - Stalybridge - Astley Circular

School Services

Audenshaw School

• 721 - Audenshaw School - Dukinfield

Denton Community College

• 701 - Dane Bank -Denton Community College
• 847 - Denton Community College - Haughton Green - Hyde

Fairfield High School

• 700 (AM service only) - Fairfield High School - Dane Bank
• 747 - Haughton Green - Denton - Fairfield High School

Flixton Girls School

• 799 - Boothstown – Eccles - Urmston Academy – Flixton Girls’ School – Wellacre

Longdendale High School

• 817 - Stalybridge - Longdendale High School

St Damian's RC College

• 864 - Droylsden - St Damian's RC Science College
• 870 - St Damian's RC Science College – Mossley - Stalybridge

St Thomas More RC College

• 719 - Openshaw - St Thomas More RC College

All other school bus services will operate.