Staff at West Yorkshire Combined Authority will strike on Friday including a picket line in Leeds
A strike by transport, admin and front line staff at West Yorkshire Combined Authority is set to go ahead tomorrow (Friday December 19).
Union UNISON made the announcement after a new pay offer from the employer was rejected.
Workers including front line staff, admin staff and transport planners will walk out on Friday December 19 for 72 hours after rejecting a revised proposal.
A statement said: “Staff requested a pay increase of at least 5%, a modest and reasonable claim given inflation and the demands of their roles. The employer countered with a significantly lower 3.2% offer three months after the pay rise was due.
“The workers involved are essential staff who keep bus, rail and wider transport services running safely and efficiently across West Yorkshire, says UNISON.
“They are some of the most vital workers in the transport sector and deserve to be paid fairly”, the union adds.
UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside regional manager Leonie Sharp said: “These employees provide vital services and keep West Yorkshire moving.
“Thousands of passengers can rely on accessible, coordinated and secure public transport every day because of the work these staff do.
“They're simply asking for a fair wage. Bosses must come back to the negotiating table with a fair and acceptable pay offer.
"That way, staff can get back to doing what they do best - delivering reliable public transport for the region.”
The rejected 3.2% offer was made five months after unions submitted a pay claim and three months after the pay rise was due. It was rejected by a large majority.
UNISON says that these frontline workers – already on low wages – continue to face rising living costs without a pay increase that reflects the value of their work or the financial pressures they experience.
A picket line is due to be held in Leeds tomorrow morning. (Friday)
UNISON is the UK’s largest union and the largest union in the NHS and in the ambulance sector, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
The latest pickets follow recent strike action by hospital staff and residents doctors.