First Manchester bus drivers joined by MPs at demonstration

All three of Oldham's MPs were in attendance, along with the council leader Arooj Shah and many Labour councillors.

They were there to offer their support to the bus drivers as they are set to enter a fourth week of strikes but will now move to three days of strikes a week instead of two.

Speaking at the demonstration, deputy leader of the Labour Party and Ashton-under-Lyne MP Angela Rayner said: "100 per cent, Labour is here to support you and your endeavours."

This was echoed by Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon, who said: "It goes without saying you've got the full support of your local MPs here in Oldham, because we know when you are paid well, the community gets on together."

The drivers are on strike in large part due to their pay. They say they were due an agreed pay rise back in August 2021, which was then backdated. They are looking to see their pay go from £12.40 an hour to around £13 an hour.

First Manchester argues they have offered that. Ian Humphreys, managing director at First Manchester said: "The company has offered a substantial increase to £13 per hour which meets the trade union’s request for parity with another large bus company in Greater Manchester and we were advised met their aspirations."

However, although First has offered a pay rise, they are unwilling to backdate that pay rise to August.

The MPs said the drivers had the support of Labour

It is also about much more than that for the drivers. As some drivers at the scene explained, it has a lot to do with rota patterns.

Before Covid, there were rosters in place for different drivers. One example is a roster for long-serving drivers, who did not have to work weekends.

There was a system in place where drivers would get a long weekend every fourth week. These rotas and systems were rescinded during the pandemic but were promised to return afterwards. This has not happened.

Sick pay has been taken away, the drivers said. Instead, they were offered a lump sum of money. The drivers were also offered a bonus of £300 before Christmas and £200 after for their work, however they claim this would only be given if they agreed they would not strike.

In response to this, Mr Humphreys said: "There are no changes to our colleagues’ conditions and whilst reference has also been made to rota patterns, this is simply about the introduction of a previously agreed, shared plan to update recruiting and working practices to fulfil the company’s commitments to diversity in the workplace."

The drivers spoke passionately as they explained why they are taking this action. One driver, who wished to go by John, said: "This could have been resolved months ago."

Another, who wished to go by the name Aziz, said: "First Manchester need to stop treating their employees as slaves."

Talks have progressed at points, however the major sticking point remains to be the pay rise being backdated to August, something First is not willing to do.

John Keeley, convener at First Manchester, said: "At the moment, it's a bit of a stalemate, we're in no man's land."

However, the driver who went by the name John was optimistic that a deal would be done soon, saying "it's very close".

As things stand, starting Monday and continuing throughout February, there will be three days of strikes a week. It remains to be seen if terms can be agreed upon over the next few weeks.

They were stood outside the First Manchester depot on Wallshaw Street, Oldham

The strikes began with an announcement on January 7 from both Unite the Union and First Manchester. Over 300 drivers who are members of Unite recorded a 99 per cent vote in favour of taking the strike action after several rounds of negotiations failed to resolve the issues.

One of the key sticking points is over the terms of the pay rise. First Manchester have agreed to raise the drivers' pay to £13 per hour, however the drivers claim First is refusing to backdate the pay increase to August.

The drivers say the company is refusing to honour the anniversary date of August 1, 2021, when the pay increase was due to come into effect. They believe the salary increase should be backdated from this date.

According to a survey carried out by Unite, in which over 500 activist bus drivers throughout the UK took part in, 98.5 per cent said they were aware of bus driver shortages at their respective garage.

Over 79 per cent said that these shortages had increased since the pandemic began, and over 46 per cent of drivers said between 20 and 40 drivers had left their garage during that time.

When asked what the main reasons for drivers leaving were, over 90 per cent said pay was a factor, over 89 per cent said working conditions were a factor and over 68 per cent said long hours were a factor.

Unite national officer for passenger transport Bobby Morton said: "The survey lays bare the shortage of bus drivers in the UK.

"Until the bus operators improve pay and conditions and reduce the long hours culture then drivers will continue to leave and new entrants will be few and far between."

Meanwhile, Ms Graham said: "This survey reveals that bus drivers are leaving the industry in droves due to low pay, poor working conditions and long hours.

"Bus companies have got to stop trying to sweep driver shortages under the carpet and start tackling the fundamental problems in the industry." 

Ms Graham said that bus companies would have to start tackling the problems they are facing by eradicating low pay or risk the driver shortages would only get worse.

The survey, released in late November 2021, came after the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) wrote to the transport secretary Grant Shapps in August, warning of the driver shortage. They said at the time that the main issue was a lack of Covid testing available.

The number of drivers leaving the industry is having an affect on bus services. Less than 10 per cent of drivers said they had not seen services cancelled as a result of the shortages, with 42.5 per cent saying the cancellations were having an equal affect on peak and off-peak services.

These statistics are likely to be very worrying for passengers up and down the country. Many people, particularly in the Greater Manchester area, rely on buses as their main mode of transportation.

Unite has said it is concerned about the affect these cancellations could have on the safety of people working late at night, especially women. Women make up a significant proportion of the night time economy, with many working in bars, restaurants, hotels and they are far more likely to experience sexual harassment.

According to a recent UN Women UK YouGov survey, over 80 per cent of women aged between 18 and 34 have say they have experienced some form of sexual harassment in a public space, and two thirds of women say they feel unsafe when walking alone at night either always or often. 

The bus industry in this country finds itself in a crucial moment. Many drivers are unhappy, with over two thirds of drivers in Unite's survey admitting they have considered leaving their jobs. Services are being affected, which is set to affect millions of passengers. As the situation in Oldham continues to see the drivers and management locked in a stalemate, the future of the bus industry in this country becomes more uncertain.