Manchester tram workers vote to strike in dispute over pay and sickness benefits

Manchester's tram workers have delivered a 100% yes vote to take industrial action.

Tram workers in Manchester are to strike in a dispute over pay and sickness benefits.

Members of the GMB on the city's Metrolink service will walk out on 29 September and 6, 13 and 20 October.

GMB organiser Shaun Buckley said: "Manchester's tram workers have delivered a 100% yes vote to take industrial action to demand the return of their sickness benefit scheme and bank holiday pay rates.

"Since the contract was outsourced, GMB members have suffered worse terms and conditions and a merry-go-round of changing employers winning contracts to clean the trams.

"If Transport for Greater Manchester, the Manchester Mayor's Office and Bidvest Noonan want to stop travel chaos for the city, they must stop the erosion of terms and conditions for these already low-paid workers."

The strike will bookend the Conservative party's annual conference, as well as coinciding with fresh strikes by train drivers.

Aslef announced its members at 16 train operators will walk out on Saturday 30 September - the day before the conference - and Wednesday 4 October, the final day of the event.

Aslef members will also ban overtime from Friday September 29 to Friday October 6, which the union said will "seriously disrupt" the rail network.

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