Staff at Newport Transport have rejected an improved pay offer and have voted to take industrial action, which was due to take place on Tuesday, July 19 as CBW went to press.
The company, which employs more than 250 people, had offered staff an improved pay deal totalling 3.5%. The rise included a pay increase of 1.75% in the current financial year backdated to April 1, and a further 1.75% rise from April 1, 2017. Pay for 2015/16 would be frozen under the deal. The board was planning to implement the pay offer in August 2016.
It is the third pay increase offer to be turned down by staff in the last three months, and following consecutive pay increases in April 2013 and April 2014 of 2% in each year made by the company. These increases, combined with the current offer, represent a 7.5% increase in staff pay over five years.
In a statement, the Board of Newport Transport said: “We are disappointed that some of the company’s staff have voted against accepting this pay increase award.
“Our customers are of paramount importance to us and we will work tirelessly to ensure we operate as full a service as possible during the period of industrial action. Any temporary changes to timetables will be advised of immediately on our website, social media and on our buses.
“Over the last 12 months other bus operators in the region have been forced into making staff redundancies because of government cuts to bus funding. Despite these cuts, and the uncertain economic climate ahead, Newport Transport has chosen to continue investing in its workforce, their pay, and conditions.
“We have made a number of pay increase offers to our staff. Sadly, these offers, including our latest improved pay increase, have been rejected. We have worked closely throughout this period with the staffs’ union and ACAS, and believe we had put together a package that gave our staff a generous pay award, yet crucially protected the company’s ability to sustain and invest in the services that are so vitally important to our customers.
“We will continue to work closely with the union and our staff and hope that they will reconsider this final offer.”
