NET shares affect strike action will have on Nottingham as GMB members reject above inflation offer.

NOTTINGHAM EXPRESS TRANSIT (NET) has expressed its bitter disappointment following today’s decision by GMB union members to go ahead with strike action.

The news comes after NET’s third offer was rejected by GMB union members earlier today. The offer was a substantial increase on the previous offer submitted by NET and offered a well above-inflation pay increase for 2024, with the guarantee of a further above-inflation pay increase for 2025. This offer was recommended by GMB for members to accept.

The upcoming 10-day strike action will have huge implications for both the survival of Nottingham’s tram network, as well as for the many customers who rely on the service each day, with huge disruption expected for the city’s upcoming annual Goose Fair event.

With the strike set to begin from 00.01 on Friday 27 September and to run until 23.59 on Sunday 6 October, NET will be operating a severely reduced service, with some services unable to run at all and some routes running at altered times. Tram users are encouraged to check NET’s social media channels, NET GO! app, local tram stops and the NET website for the most up to date information before they travel.

Sarah Turner, service delivery and safety director at NET, said:

“We are bitterly disappointed by GMB union members’ decision to reject our secondary pay offer, particularly as this is the offer that GMB had recommended following our ongoing discussions. From the outset, GMB has pointedly made the decision to target Goose Fair, deliberately disrupting a much-loved family event that brings so much enjoyment to the people of Nottingham and surrounding areas.

"However, beyond that, the upcoming strike action will have wider implications for the city too. Not only will it mean that many people may not be able to travel into the city, but Nottingham’s tram network marks a vital part of the city’s infrastructure, and the strike action puts its survival at risk.”

Following a challenging period after the pandemic, last year NET completed a successful financial restructuring of its contract debts which helped to secure the future of the network. However, the upcoming strike action is set to put the financial restructuring agreement at risk.

Sarah continued: “In December last year, we completed a financial restructuring project to secure the future of the tram network for the next ten years. However, the blow of being unable to run for these 10-day strikes will undo all of that hard work, with the loss of revenue set to put us back in debt.

“We’ve always been committed to looking after our staff, which is why we regularly review our salaries and have awarded pay increases totalling over 20% over the last four years, despite the huge financial challenges that COVID brought, when people simply didn’t travel. The pay increase that GMB is calling for is simply not financially possible.”

Under the Trade Union Act 2016, workers aren’t obliged to inform employers of their plans to strike, and NET will only understand exact staffing levels at the beginning of each working day, when it will update all communications channels to inform tram users of which services will be affected.

Sarah said: “Over the course of the coming 10 days, our priority is to operate the best service possible, but safety must come first. GMB has stated that trams will be running from 5am to 5pm on each day of the strike, but this is inaccurate. If we’re unable to service expected passenger levels safely with the staff resources we have each day, then some days we will simply be unable to run. This affects families who want to enjoy one of Nottingham’s biggest events, as well as the workers at the fair and, of course, Nottingham’s wider economy, with less people able to travel into the city.

“We have created a hub on our website that customers can use to identify the most recent service level updates, and we encourage people to check our social media channels, the NET GO! app and digital screens at their local tram stops to understand how they might be affected each day.

“It’s a sad day for the network, but also the people of Nottingham who are bearing the brunt of this action. We’ve worked hard for months now to try and come to a resolution with GMB, and done everything in our power to try and stop it getting to this stage, but sadly we’re now at this point.”

Each year thousands of people across the city rely on the trams for travel to work, their place of study, days out and more. The tram network offers a sustainable, convenient and affordable way to travel, providing an essential lifeline for many looking to access City and the surrounding areas.

For more information about NET, visit https://www.thetram.net/

View the latest service updates during the strike action period online at https://support.thetram.net/support/solutions/articles/15000058785