Bus drivers working for First Manchester Ltd today began a 24 hour strike today, with trade union Unite accusing the company of not honouring the collective bargaining agreement it entered into with workers and breaching a 2012 pay agreement.
Routes throughout Salford are affected by the dispute, including Worsley to Piccadilly, Leigh to Swinton, and buses from Salford Precinct to Manchester.
"It is with a heavy heart that our members have been left with no option but to strike" says Unite's regional officer Neil Clarke "We regret any inconvenience and disruption caused to passengers, but they cannot and will not sit by and let their hard fought for agreements be trashed.
"All the issues in this dispute could easily be resolved by the senior management and at no financial cost to the business" he explains "This is not a question of ability, but of a willingness to honour commitments and agreements that the company have signed up to. The conduct of the management team is in stark contrast to the so-called 'people values' rhetoric that it espouses and incorporates into the company's 'vision and values' publications.
"The message to the management is plain and simple: the agreements and procedures that all have signed up to must be honoured, adhered to and viewed as binding and not discretionary" he adds "Unite has acted with integrity and honour throughout and management must do likewise, starting with the reversal of the existing breaches and the re-instatement of provisions that existed prior to the breaches occurring."
First Manchester states that it is "still seeking clarification around the specific issues of the dispute and what resolution Unite require to bring the dispute to an end..."
* Meanwhile members of UCU trade union at the University of Salford will be on strike during Wednesday and Thursday this week over pay.
Legendary bus graphic by Jamie Reid
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