Leeds bus strike: A second 24-hour bus strike in Leeds will go ahead on Monday, 20 June.
Talks broke down earlier this week between First West Yorkshire and Unite Union.
Around 1,000 bus workers at the Bramley and Hunslet Park depots will strike from 2.01am on Monday – for the second successive Monday – in a dispute over pay.
Up to three quarters of bus service in Leeds could be affected by the strike and roads will be be busier than normal.
Affected services
Services operated from First’s other depots in West Yorkshire will operate (including service X6, 508, 611 and 670 – but check the First Leeds website as some journeys may be cancelled).
The number 4 service will operate on an hourly basis from Pudsey from 7.23am. The last bus from Leeds is 8.23am. The service won’t run through to Seacroft but will be split into two in the city centre.
The number 16 will also run hourly, starting in Pudsey at 7.41am with the last bus back to Pudsey at 5.39pm and a service terminatung in Bramley at 6.09pm.
Numbers 33 and 72, which cut through West Leeds, will also run hourly. All other first buses are cancelled.
Full details of all bus times on the First Leeds website.
Buses run by other bus companies, including the 711 and 760, should run as normal.
Can we reassure our customers that #760 will operate normally thru #Calverley #Rodley #Kirkstall to & from #Leeds https://t.co/cy6QdhOV6r
— Transdev Keighley (@keighleybus) June 18, 2016
Strike negotiations break down
Unite claims the bus workers operating out of the Bramley and Hunslet Park depots in Leeds are among the lowest paid in First Bus’s Yorkshire operations with colleagues in Halifax earning up to £2 an hour more.
Unite regional officer Phil Bown said:
“Regretfully, we are no further forward resolving the current dispute. The company tabled a new offer that was significantly less than its original offer last week – which rather defeats the object of negotiations.
“This pitiful offer contrasts with the fact that First Bus has announced a UK-wide annual bus profit in this week of about £52 million, with a third of that profit coming from its Leeds operation.
“The bosses are now playing hard ball with the company saying it will not allow any member to do any overtime next week which will mean that it will have to withdraw some services after Monday which will cause more disruption to the travelling public in Leeds.”
Paul Matthews, managing director of First Leeds, said:
“This is very disappointing news which will cause massive inconvenience for our customers as well as hardship for our staff.
“We’ve again presented several ways in which the union’s demands could be met to try and end this dispute.
“Our offers continue to be way above inflation as ther pay deals have been for each of the last four years.
“In response, Unite are now demanding even higher increases in their alternative proposals.”