Locals and visitors to Manchester this festive season could face major travel disruption in Greater Manchester next month, as over 300 tram drivers are being balloted to go on strike. Almost 320 Unite members who work for KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM) Limited, part of Greater Manchester’s Bee Network, are eligible to vote in the ballot, which ends on November 11, in a dispute over working conditions.
The drivers 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.
“Increased dangers of fatigue”
Unite has claimed that the tram drivers have to work 450 hours over a 12-week period, resulting in some working 50 hours on, followed by just two days off, then back into another 50-hour work pattern. The union expressed concerns that members had fewer rest days compared to all other operational departments, causing safety concerns around fatigue, with drivers concerned about operating heavy vehicles while exhausted and unable to have proper breaks.
After raising the issue with management, Unite added that it had been told there is no funding available to support any meaningful improvements to working patterns and said drivers had also been asked to start work earlier, “adding to increased dangers of fatigue”.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our hardworking members at Metrolink do a vital job – but fatigue is putting themselves and the public at risk. Management can’t sweep this key safety issue under the carpet and they must come back to the table with workable solutions. Metrolink workers will have Unite’s full support throughout this dispute.”
When could tram strikes take place in Greater Manchester?
The ballot for industrial action closes on November 11, meaning strikes could begin in late November, causing tram ‘chaos’ such as cancellations and delays in Greater Manchester during the busy festive shopping period. There will also be disruption to services that go to and from Manchester Christmas markets, which start from November 7 and attract millions of visitors each year to the city.
Danny Vaughan, TfGM’s chief network officer, said: “We’re aware that Unite is balloting drivers employed by the tram operator, KeolisAmey Metrolink, over industrial action. We are meeting with both KAM and Unite this week to understand the issue and any concerns in more detail. We are keen to work with both parties to resolve the issue without causing disruption for passengers.”
Unite regional officer Colin Hayden said: “Any strike action will cause a great deal of disruption but it is entirely the fault of Metrolink, which is not taking the issue of driver fatigue seriously.
“It is dangerous for fatigued workers to be driving trams and they should not be put in this situation. We are demanding that Metrolink and Transport for Greater Manchester work with Unite to find a solution to this problem to avoid industrial action.”