As we go to press, Unite the Union has announced that the all-out continuous strike at National Express West Midlands, originally scheduled to begin on 16 March, has been postponed following an improved offer being made by the company. The offer will now be voted on by 3,200 drivers and 200 engineers.
After resorting to desperate scare tactics of threatening garage closures and bringing workers in for ‘one-to-ones’, management have been forced to give ground, thanks to the workforce’s determination to win a living pay increase following years of wage erosion. If Unite members choose to reject the offer in the ballot, the union remains ready to bring them out from 20 March onwards.
