West Midlands Metro strikes called off at eleventh hour after improved pay offer made
Strikes which threatened to disrupt the region’s transport network have been called off at the eleventh hour after an improved pay offer was made.
A union announced today that West Midlands Metro workers would begin all-out strike action starting on November 28 in a row over pay. The move was expected to cause disruption to commuters and shoppers through the festive period and hamper thousands travelling to Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market.
But following urgent talks, Unite said an improved pay offer had been received and the remaining strikes scheduled for this week would be suspended as an “act of goodwill”. Workers had been due to strike on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
The union says it will now ballot its members at West Midlands Metro on the new offer, but if it is rejected then the strikes scheduled for next week and beyond – including the all-out strike action – will proceed as scheduled. Unite regional officer Sulinder Singh said: “Following an improved pay offer being made on Tuesday at the conciliation service Acas, as an act of good faith, Unite has suspended the strike action that was scheduled for the rest of this week.
“Unite’s members will be fully briefed on the latest offer and balloted on it.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said workers on the West Midlands Metro undertake highly responsible roles and were “simply not going to accept poverty rates of pay any longer”.
The 170-plus workers, who are members of Unite, have been taking extensive strike action since October 15.
Before its latest announcement, the union said the decision to move to an all-out strike was taken because the employer offered a “derisory” one-off payment of £300 paid in April 2023 to resolve the dispute.
A West Midlands Metro spokesman said: “Following further talks involving Acas, we welcome the union’s decision to suspend industrial action while it ballots members on an enhanced pay offer. We hope that colleagues accept these latest proposals, avoiding any further disruption for our customers.”
