First Manchester bus strikes suspended following new pay offer - Unite

Strikes by bus drivers employed by First Manchester have been suspended following the company making an improved offer in the dispute over pay.

The strikes scheduled for tomorrow Friday (4 February) and the stoppages for next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (February 7-9) will now not go ahead.

Unite, the UK’s leading union, will ballot its 300 plus members on the new offer. If it is accepted the dispute will have ended. If members reject the offer then strikes already scheduled for 15, 17, 18, 21 and 25 February will go ahead as planned.

Unite regional officer Dave Roberts said: “In the spirit of goodwill Unite has suspended its next four days of industrial action to allow its members to be balloted on the improved pay offer. 

“From the beginning of this dispute, Unite has made clear that it believed it could be resolved through negotiations. Once First Manchester returned to the negotiating table with an improved offer progress was made.”

Strike action began last month in the dispute over low rates of pay. The industrial action has caused considerable disruption to bus passengers throughout Greater Manchester.