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National Express drivers vote to strike over pay

National Express

National Express bus drivers about to walk out in a row over pay

Nearly 3,300 National Express bus drivers and engineers in the West Midlands have announced strikes later this month.

This means the West Midlands bus network will be shut down from March 16.

The row over pay will continue indefinitely after more than 3,000 bus drivers voted to strike.

Read More: 200,000 teachers launch three days of strike action over pay

Another 200 engineers will join the industrial action, after voting in favour in January.

The protests will significantly impact National Express West Midlands' services as they represent 93 percent of the region's bus network.

The strike will be a double headache for commuters since it will occur on the same day as walkouts by Network Rail and the RMT union.

Unite said a pay offer from the Digbeth-based listed group intensified the dispute.

It claimed the offer represented a real-term pay cut, with some drivers getting £11.80 per hour.

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The union said National Express offered 11.1 percent to drivers and 11.5 percent to engineers on basic salaries.

National Express' coach business is not affected by the strike.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "National Express is sitting on mountains of cash and can absolutely afford to give a pay rise to its staff that reflects rocketing living costs.

"It needs to do just that. Unite defends our members' jobs, pay and conditions to the hilt and the National Express workforce has their union's total and unflinching support during these strikes."

Source: Business Live

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