Fatigued Metrolink Tram Drivers accept pay deal

Metrolink tram driver strikes off as workers accept deal to tackle fatigue

Industrial action this weekend and New Year’s Eve won’t go ahead now as workers accept improvements to pay and conditions

Manchester KeolisAmey Metrolink Limited services will operate this weekend and New Year’s Eve after strikes by tram drivers have been called off.

The workers, members of Unite, the leading union in passenger transport, have accepted a new deal that will see their employer fix longstanding problems with fatigue and scheduling issues.

Rotas meant drivers at Metrolink were working as many as six days in a row without proper rest breaks. This was leading to safety concerns around fatigue, with drivers concerned about operating heavy vehicles while exhausted.

Workers have now accepted new proposals by Metrolink that will see rota changes including a reduction in driving time without a break from five and a half to five hours, the removal of six-day working, and the introduction of an additional two rest days.

All drivers will also benefit from having their duty length reduced from nine and a half to nine hours.

Metrolink has committed to fully implementing these changes by January 2027, and the improvements to rotas will bring them more in line with workers elsewhere in the country.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is an excellent win for our members at Metrolink, who stood together in their concerns over fatigue until their employer listened and came up with meaningful changes.

“Their action has also led to vastly improved pay for many workers. This result shows the power of a union, and workers at Metrolink should be very proud of their achievement.”

Metrolink will be raising driver starting salaries from £26,420 to £33,026 from 1 January, then increasing to £33,687 in a bid to attract new staff. Salaries have also gone up across the board for drivers with longer service, which will address problems of retention – for example, drivers with two years’ service will get £34,500 effective from 1 January (currently £31,863).

Unite regional officer Colin Hayden said: “We are very pleased that Metrolink finally listened to drivers’ legitimate concerns around fatigue and came back with a plan that will go a long way to finally solving the issue and keeping workers and passengers safe.

“This, plus improvements to pay, is the culmination of a lot of hard work from Unite and our reps who showed incredible solidarity throughout this dispute. This result proves again that Unite is a union winning for workers in the passenger transport sector.”