Planned Salford bus strikes called off

Bus strikes expected to disrupt travel across Salford have been called off.

Staff at to Bee Network bus operators, Metroline and Stagecoach, had planned to take industrial action on Friday 10 October, Saturday 11 October and Monday 13 October.

But Unite the Union has suspended these strikes while it ballots drivers on a revised pay offer from operators.

The 38, 50, 51, and 248 bus routes would have been affected had the strikes gone ahead.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, said: “Bus drivers are critical to the success of the Bee Network and we value what they do to keep Greater Manchester moving.

“We’ve been working hard to get to this point and are pleased Unite has called off this weekend’s strikes. We are hopeful that an agreement between operators and the union can be reached quickly to avoid further action.

“It’s important that both our passengers and the people who work on the Bee Network benefit from local control of public transport. We’re confident that, with the changes we’ve already made and more we’ve got planned, we’re making Greater Manchester one of the best places in the country to be a bus driver.”

Given the decision to suspend strikes has been made this evening, there may still be some disruption to services. Passengers are therefore still being encouraged to check before travelling, with all the latest updates to be available on the Bee Network website and app.

Danny Vaughan, TfGM’s Chief Network Officer, said: “This positive announcement means that the 190 bus routes we expected to be disrupted should now run as normal. Given the timing of the decision, there may still be limited disruption on some bus services across Greater Manchester this weekend.

“We’re therefore still advising people to plan ahead and check the latest status of their service before they travel. We suggest people leave plenty of time for their journey and get in touch with us if they have any questions.”