Tyne and Wear Metro engineers call off strike after agreeing pay deal

Tyne and Wear Metro engineers have called off their proposed strike action after agreeing a new and improved pay deal.

On Tuesday, November 7, Unite revealed that its members were preparing to take a week-long strike starting on Monday, November 20, unless a deal was agreed.

The industrial action was proposed after Unite stated that its members' requests to Stadler Rail for a fair pay increase had not been met.

In an effort to avoid disruption caused by any potential strike action, Stadler increased its offer to a 7% pay rise, which members accepted on Thursday, November 9.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, has praised Stadler Rail for acting quickly to negotiate an improved pay deal with workers.

She said: “By standing together in solidarity and being prepared to take industrial action our members have secured a pay increase which met their expectations.

“Unite is always prepared to negotiate and I’m pleased Stadler Rail acted in a timely fashion to our demands– a marked contrast to other transport operators in the North East.”

Craig Cuggy, Unite regional offer, echoed Sharon's praise and declare it as a "win" for the union.

He added: "This is a great win for Unite and our members who have got a fair pay rise for the highly skilled and safety critical work they perform.

"Other employers in the region should take notice of how productive negotiations leads to a better deal for everyone involved."

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The now called off strike action had the potential to cause even further disruption to the public transport network in the North East of England.

At the time of writing, bus drivers at Go North East are preparing to start their third week of a 12-week strike over pay and working conditions.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the latest talks between Go North East and Unite had once again broken down.