Newest Leeds bus strike sparked by “insulting” wage offer

THE third in a series of strikes by Leeds bus drivers is set to take place on Friday following an offer from management at First West Yorkshire that unions described as “insulting.”

Union unite said that the latest offer in the ongoing pay dispute amounted to 38p extra an hour for the next three years, and that the company is using the smokescreen as a smokescreen, cutting 150 bus journeys the day after the strikes.

The union plamed First West Yorkshire management for “dragging its feet” following two 24-hour strikes last month.

First Leeds, a division of the bus operator, countered the claims and said that their proposal would have increased wages well above inflation, meeting the Union’s request for a 36p an hour increase.

The company said Unite had refused to bring their offers to the bus drivers themselves.

Unite regional officer Phil Bown said: “The bus bosses have an eccentric way of negotiating which means each new offer is worth less than the one before.

“The latest insulting offer works out at 38p an hour extra for the next three years – basically, 18p an hour in real terms.

“This is from a company that last month announced a UK-wide annual profit for its bus division of £52 million – £11 million of which came from its Leeds operations.

He said the company were treating Unite’s members with “contempt” and that it was “using the travelling public as a pawn in its anti-union stance.”

Paul Matthews, managing director of First Leeds said: “To try an bring this dispute to an end we’ve offered a revised deal, again providing a substantial pay rise way above inflation…Yet again this will mean our customers will suffer because of unnecessary action by Unite.”

The third 24-hour strike involves only Leeds services, Bradford Huddersfield and Halifax services will not be affected. It will commence on 2.01am on Friday 8 July.

Information on affected services can be found at @firstwestyorks.