Leading union Unite has announced that it has secured a 13.5 per cent pay deal for tram drivers in the West Midlands.
Due to come into effect on 1 April 2024, the one year deal was negotiated without the need for industrial action.
Separate to the current pay deal, Unite West Midland Metro members took strike action in 2022 that secured a 20.1 per cent pay increase for tram drivers with over a year’s service and 13.7 per cent rise for those with less than a year’s service.
This means that since June 2022, wages for time-served West Midlands tram drivers have increased by 33.6 per cent from £22,000 to £30,100.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “For too long, West Midlands Metro tram drivers were paid too little for what they did. The well-deserved increase in their wages since 2022 is a direct result of the workers standing together in their union. As this latest pay deal shows, Unite’s total focus on defending and improving jobs, pay and conditions is winning for our members.”
Unite regional officer Sulinder Singh added: “Workers wanting better wages and working lives should join Unite and organise their colleagues to do the same. There is power in a union.”
