Three more strike dates announced by Unite in a dispute over driver fatigue

Further industrial action by 320 tram drivers working for KeolisAmey Metrolink Limited is set to cause disruption this festive season - including on New Year's Eve.

The drivers will now walk out on December 19, 20 and 31 in addition to the strikes planned for this coming weekend, December 5 to 7.  

This will impact journeys during a key part of the Christmas party season, as well as travel to and from New Year's Eve events including the St Peter's Square fireworks which attract around 20,000 spectators a year. 

Other events that will be affected by this additional industrial action include Manchester City v West Ham at the Etihad Stadium and Doves and Jools Holland concerts. 

The dispute is over driver fatigue and fears that their shift patterns and lack of rest breaks is putting them and passengers at risk. Unite has repeatedly raised issues with management but has been told there is no funding available for improvements to working patterns. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Driver fatigue is a serious problem. Our members are raising serious concerns about their and their passengers' safety Metrolink management is burying its head in the sand. 

“Management must sort this problem out once and for all. It can’t try to fob drivers off by putting profits before safety.” 

Currently, the drivers’ shift patterns mean they work 450 hours over a 12-week period. This results in some drivers working 50 hours on, followed by just two days off, then back into another 50-hour work pattern, while many others work for six days in a row. They also have fewer rest days compared to colleagues in other operational departments such as engineering and customer support. 

Drivers at Metrolink Manchester also have the worst driving conditions across the UK compared to other light rail networks. 

One driver said: "Fatigue isn't just tiredness, my colleagues are tired but the fatigue is also giving them cold-like symptoms and many have been going off sick with stress, which adds to problems with staffing levels. 

“Drivers are saying not a question of if an accident will occur but when. At the moment we have the Christmas markets on in Manchester which means there's a lot more pedestrians around and we also drive alongside road traffic as well. You need to be constantly on the ball when driving a tram and being fatigued lessens the chance of being able to do that." 

Another said: "I end up using my annual leave to try and create my own rest day pattern as the six in a row is just not good for me, meaning I don’t get any long breaks away from work. This usually ends up with me feeling physically and mentally run down." 

The KeolisAmey Metrolink tram system, part of Greater Manchester’s integrated transport network the Bee Network, is the largest in the UK. Last year, it handled a record 45 million journeys last year with four million of these taking place in December 2024. 

Drivers involved in the dispute at Metrolink work at the Warwick Road South and Queens Road depots in the city and operate trams on all routes in Greater Manchester, meaning industrial action will be very disruptive. 

Unite regional officer Colin Hayden added: "Following a breakdown in talks, we have announced further strike action. With the Christmas party season and New Year's Eve events, this will be highly disruptive. 

"However, the action is completely the fault of Metrolink. It has failed to take this issue seriously, putting drivers and passengers at risk and our members feel they have no choice to walk out. 

"The door is still open for Metrolink to resolve this dispute by coming back with a workable solution to the issue of driver fatigue." 

Two of the strike dates, December 19 and 20, also coincide with industrial action by 200 Unite members working for Transport for Greater Manchester on the Bee bus network.