Greater Manchester is set to face major travel disruption as 320 tram drivers working for KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM) Limited, part of the Bee Network, have voted to strike. The drivers, members of Unite, work at the Warwick Road South and Queens Road depots in Manchester and operate trams on all routes in Greater Manchester.
The KeolisAmey Metrolink tram system is the largest in the UK and last year handled a record 45 million journeys, with over four million trips taking place in each of May, October, November, and December.
Why are tram drivers in Manchester going on strike?
According to Unite, this dispute centres around fatigue. Currently, tram drivers’ shift patterns mean they work 450 hours over a 12-week period. Unite says this results in some drivers working 50 hours on, followed by just two days off, then back into another 50-hour work pattern.
The union has also stated that Manchester tram drivers have fewer rest days compared to colleagues in other operational departments, such as engineering and customer support. This means drivers are said to be suffering from fatigue due to not having adequate breaks and are concerned about operating heavy passenger vehicles while exhausted. Unite has said they have repeatedly raised the issue with management, but have been told there is no funding available for improvements to working patterns.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Driver fatigue is a major safety issue for both our members and passengers, but Metrolink management is not taking this seriously. Metrolink is guilty of not acting on our members’ concerns. It can’t ignore this issue any longer. Our members will have Unite’s full support throughout this strike.”
When will the strikes take place?
Tram drivers will initially walk out from Friday 5th December to Sunday 7th December, impacting major events in the city, such as Manchester Christmas Markets, Ed Sheeran, Jamiroquai and Pete Tong concerts. Other events taking place that weekend include the Manchester City vs Sunderland game on December 6 at the Etihad Stadium and the Manchester Christmas Parade. It may also disrupt people socialising in hospitality venues in the run-up to Christmas.
Unite regional officer Colin Hayden said: “Our members at Metrolink care about passenger safety and feel they have no choice but to walk out to make their voices heard. We appreciate strike action will be frustrating for passengers, but it is entirely the fault of the employer. Metrolink must come back to the table with a meaningful solution to the fatigue and conditions issues to avoid this disruptive action.”
Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Officer at TfGM, said that since TfGM was informed of the outcome of the tram drivers’ ballot, they have been working directly with drivers, Unite and the operator Keolis Amey Metrolink to explore the rosters in detail and come up with solutions that address the union’s concerns.