Telford bus driver strike could be less than two weeks away
Bus drivers in Telford could be less than a fortnight away from strike action, unions warned today.
After several months of negotiation members of union Unite say they have been fighting to retain vital terms and conditions in their contract, along with a pay increase.
But bus operator Arriva says the deal, which would see a 7.5 per cent increase in pay over a three - period, would offer a huge benefit for drivers.
Ralph Williams, Telford's garage liaison officer for Unite, said drivers were ready to strike if a mutually beneficial agreement could not be met. He said: "I hope it doesn't come to that, but it seems the trend across the whole industry at the moment. We're ready to press ahead and we've been given the go-ahead for strike action if necessary.
"On Friday we'd been given a deal that we could recommend to the workforce, but that had fallen through by Monday.
"What they're offering to pay would be acceptable if they put it on the table today, but only if we retained our terms and conditions."
Mr Williams said: "We know where we're going and we know what we want.
"Telford drivers are anxious to push forward. This isn't just a few drivers, it's most of the drivers in the garage.
"A strike would be in line with the constant expectation from Arriva to trade terms and conditions in return for a legitimate pay rise."
The 7.5 per cent boost would see drivers in Telford earning an average £10 per hour standard rate by 2018.
Mark Thornley, HR Director from Arriva, said: "The three-year deal presented to drivers across the region represents a solid commitment from Arriva to deliver a sustainable structure for wage increases, which will not only give our drivers better long term security, but also meet their aspirations of achieving a £10 hourly rate."
