Hucknall tram passengers could face disruption this weekend as workers' union announces strike action

Hucknall tram passengers face the possibility of travel disruption this weekend after members of the union GMB employed by NTL (Nottingham Trams Limited), voted to strike due to a dispute over pay.

The 24 hour strike will take place on Saturday 6th November, across all lines and depots.

A GMB spokesperson said: "Nottingham's tram workers are the life blood of the city, keeping businesses, families and working people moving. It's time they got the reward and recognition they deserve from company top brass.

"This strike and disruption to service was totally avoidable, had NTL management brought an offer to the table that respected these key workers and kept up with pay on similar services, such as Manchester's tram network. That just hasn't happened.

"Public support from Nottingham residents has been overwhelming and we would like to put on record our thanks to them on behalf of our members."

However, NET who operate the tram network in Nottingham claimed their pay offers had been fair and vowed to continue to negotiate with GMB in an attempt to avoid strike action.

A spokesman for NET said: "Our employees have worked extremely hard throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, providing a vital service for those who still needed to travel while restrictions remained in place. Our focus must now be on recovery, ensuring the tram remains a sustainable and affordable form of public transport.

"In light of these challenges, we have tabled a series of fair pay offers. The most recent followed talks involving the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) and includes a 3% increase for last year and a further 3%, this year, or a rise to match the Retail Price Index (RPI) measure of inflation, whichever is the highest. The proposed settlement for 2020 would be back dated and paid immediately."

"While we are disappointed this latest offer has been rejected by GMB members, and the union has advised that they intend to strike on the 6th of November if no improved offer is made, we will continue to engage with them to work towards an agreement that prevents industrial action and the resulting impact on services for our customers."

Meanwhile, GMB also implied that there is a good chance that further strike action could take place later in November if the dispute between them and company top brass is not swiftly resolved.