Sheffield tram strikes suspended after Supertram and Unite agree new pay deal

Stagecoach Supertram and Unite the union have confirmed today, August 3, that a new pay deal has been agreed that will now be voted on by drivers and conductors.

Planned strikes by Unite during both August and September have now been suspended following the latest pay offer.

The union is recommending the offer be accepted by employees ahead of a vote which is due to take place next week and the result should be known by the end of the day on Friday August 10.

Details of the package won’t be revealed until after the workers have considered the proposals.

Under the proposed three year deal, drivers and conductors will see a 30 pence per hour rise in their salary in year one, followed by a further 29 pence per hour rise in year two and a 2.5% rise in year three.

The deal also includes a reduction in contracted weekly hours and an enhanced overtime rate.

This means the annual salary for a tram driver will rise by over £1700 over the three years and Conductor salaries will rise by £1600 over the same period.

Tram Train drivers will also see their annual salary rise by £1700 over the next three years. 　

Supertram made the offer - which is higher than the current average pay settlement in the UK economy - during talks with Unite the union in Sheffield yesterday. 　

Supertram Managing Director Tim Bilby said: "We made positive progress during yesterday's talks and we are pleased to now have an offer that the union is willing to recommend for acceptance. All planned strike action has been suspended and our tram services continue to run as normal.

"We look forward to the outcome of the ballot and to what we hope will be a resolution which allows us to get back to our main focus which is running high quality tram services for the people of Sheffield."　

Unite regional coordinating officer Steve Clark said: “We had constructive talks with the company yesterday under the auspices of Acas. We reached an agreement on a three year pay deal which we are recommending our members accept. As a result, the planned strike action has been suspended."　

“I would like to thank our members for the solidarity they have shown during this period which has greatly contributed to us reaching this stage.”