Frontline and office staff at West Yorkshire Combined Authority strike for 24 hours over pay dispute

Workers, including frontline staff, transport planners, IT and admin staff, and project managers who are members of the UNISON union, walked out this morning for 24 hours after a meeting with the employer failed to bring an improved offer, the union said.

The industrial action follows an already held 72-hour strike, which took place in December last year.

According to the union, workers had requested a pay rise of 5 per cent above inflation, which UNISON stated is a “reasonable claim” given the rise in household costs and the demands of their roles.

It added that WYCA countered with a “significantly lower” 3.2 per cent offer, offered five months after the union submitted its offer and three months after the pay rise was due.

UNISON said a meeting held with the employer last week failed to see any significant improvement, which led to its members taking further industrial action today (January 12).

UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside regional organiser Rianne Hooley said: “These workers provide a crucial service which allows thousands of people across West Yorkshire to use public transport with confidence.

“They are simply asking to be paid fairly for the work they do.

“It’s time for managers to acknowledge the important tasks they carry out and put forward an acceptable offer.”

A West Yorkshire Combined Authority spokesperson said: “Industrial action is taking place today, Monday 12 January 2026, by employees of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

“We continue to meet with union representatives and remain hopeful pay negotiations can be resolved as soon as possible.

“General bus services are not affected. Passengers are advised to check for the latest updates on any potential disruption to bus station and travel centre facilities at wymetro.com.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”