15 Jun 2015

Bradford bus drivers settle dispute with First

An eight-day strike by bus drivers in Bradford has been called off after they reached an agreement with their employer.
In April, 380 bus drivers walked out for 48 hours in a dispute with First in Bradford over job losses. Unite had warned of a further eight day strike if crunch talks with the company failed this week.
But yesterday, members based at the Bowling Back Lane depot voted 215 to 38 to accept a new agreement, which was drawn-up after two days of talks earlier this week. Mohammed Taj, the branch secretary for Unite in Bradford, said: "We've worked together to reach an agreement that has been strongly accepted by our members.
It was agreed after the talks that depot members would be given full consultation over any future potential job losses at the Bradford site.
Union members were also given reassurances by First over its commitment to the city after the company announced it would invest £2 million to bring 12 low emissions buses to Bradford from next month. The promise followed union criticism about the level of investment in the company's fleet.
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk