MAJOR disruptions hit Oldham commuters yesterday as more than 700 bus drivers went on strike across Greater Manchester. The bus drivers well and truly made their point as their striking action caused around 50 services across Greater Manchester to be cancelled or reduced - there was an increase in cars on the roads and reported overcrowding on the Metrolink.
Around six bus services in Oldham were cancelled while others were significantly reduced.
Unite, which represents 700 members working out of the Oldham and Queens Road depots, accused First Manchester of pushing through changes to conditions without negotiation. Unite regional officer Neil Clarke said: "There's about seven or eight issues that have been articulated. They range from non-payment of certain elements of pay, to not honouring holidays, to changes in the way drivers' time is calculated, the way people are treated in general in terms of procedure.
"There's one main problem and all the other issues emanate from that problem - the problem is the approach that the senior management team are adopting towards the management of employee relations and the treatment of staff. One of the Oldham bus drivers on strike, Arnie Gray, said: "Management are taking it upon themselves to break long-standing agreements; pay agreements, attacking the long-serving people that have been here by breaking a pay agreement which the flexible retirees should be getting. I could go on - they're breaking agreement after agreement." Read More>>
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