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Hello,
Today’s edition looks at more travel disruption for the region as Arriva workers start their continuous strike. We also preview a big night in the council chamber as a decision will be made on the future of the mayoralty.
Bus walkout
The hot weather has already played havoc with transport in the city region, and now talks between unions and bus operators have reached boiling point. For the last two days, Merseyrail was forced to run a reduced service as the extreme temperatures led to significant disruption. Just as the train services are set to be back to normal, a large number of buses are set to disappear from the region’s roads as today marks the first day of strike action by Arriva workers. As it stands, there is no set date when the strike will come to an end with unions and the operator unable to reach an agreement.
The continuous walkout started from the early hours this morning and stems from workers’ calls for better pay. The action follows similar moves taken by members of the RMT in June which brought much of the country’s railways to a standstill.
After weeks of discussion between Arriva and the Unite and GMB unions, no agreement was reached over pay. The action will hit all Arriva buses across Merseyside and the wider North West. The ability to plan a journey on the Arriva website and Arriva UK Bus App will be also disabled during the duration of the strike. However the special Liverpool Clatterbridge Hospital Shuttle service will also continue to operate during this time.
Commenting on the action which is now underway, Howard Farrall, North West & Wales Area Operating Director for Arriva UK Bus said he was “disappointed” that no agreement with Unite and GMB could be made. He added: "Our people play a hugely important role keeping Merseyside moving and they fully deserve a fair pay rise – especially with the cost-of-living increasing so much.”
Mr Farrall went on to note that “despite the significant pressures on the bus sector” workers were offered a “generous” pay rise of 8.5%. He said this was tabled amidst increasing costs and passenger leves still below pre-pandemic levels. Arriva claims the offer would see its bus drivers in Merseyside receive an hourly rate of £14.67, which it says would be the highest rate of major operators in the north west and an offer higher than Unite has recommended for approval with another operator in the Liverpool City Region.
In response to the offer, Unite pointed out that the other operator was Stagecoach and that planned strikes with that company were only called off last week after an offer of over 11% pay deal was agreed. Unite regional officer Dave Roberts said: "Arriva bus workers play a crucial role in keeping the North West moving.This dispute has been fermenting for years as bus drivers have seen their hard work taken for granted and rates of pay steadily eroded. Unite remains committed to resolving the dispute at the earliest possible opportunity and it will embark on fresh negotiations any time, any place and anywhere, provided Arriva is prepared to make an improved offer."
Arriva boss Mr Farrall added: "Strike action is counter-productive, harms the communities and customers we serve, and damages bus travel at a time when we should all be focused on building recovery from the pandemic.”
The unions have been asked to ballot members on the new offer but it appears unlikely to make the breakthrough given strike action is now underway. The impact on the region will see commuters with far fewer services to choose from. With Merseyrail only covering the north and south of the city, areas in the east are heavily reliant on buses, especially in areas where car ownership is lower than average.
Following on from rail workers, criminal barristers and now train drivers, Arriva employees are the latest in a line of professions calling on more support as the cost of living crisis deepens. As a result, picket lines are now in place at bus depots across the region.
A big night ahead
It doesn’t require a heatwave to crank up the heat in the otherwise draughty Liverpool Council chamber. Already this year there have been a number of explosive meetings which has seen the Labour group splinter, with officers placed under a searing spotlight for their involvement in the energy contract saga. Tonight’s full council meeting is expected to be no different.
After uproar over the handling of the mayoral consultation, tonight’s meeting will see members decide on which direction the city will take going forward. Despite being the least popular option of the three set out in the consultation, the Labour group has publicly said it will still push for the implementation of the Leader and Cabinet model. While the optics of such a move don’t appear great, the consultation was never a legally binding vote. Equally, it was only carried out as a means of informing a decision, according to the smallprint, not a way of picking an unequivocal winner. The Labour group think the small turnout of 4% means the exercise does not provide any clarity in terms of which way to go from here.
The Liberal Democrats will be pushing for the implementation of the Committee model, but there’s also lingering calls for a full referendum, with a campaign being led by two former mayoral candidates, Liam Fogarty and Stephen Yip. This would need around 15,000 signatures, more than took part in the consultation.
But even before the meeting gets in session, battle lines are being drawn. The Liberal Democrats attempted to bring a motion of no confidence in the mayor and her cabinet at tonight's meeting. However the move has been blocked, according to an email seen by the ECHO, by Lord Mayor Roy Gladen.
The ECHO's Liam Thorp will be in position for tonight's full council meeting - you can follow along for live updates as it all unfolds.
All change
A number of key positions are now open at Liverpool city council, the largest of which is the chief executive role following Tony Reeves departure on Monday. In a bid to fill the growing void, Liverpool Council has made a temporary appointment after Mr Reeves dramatic resignation, a position he had held for the last four years.
As well as being chief executive, Mr Reeves held the statutory role as the council's head of paid service. The authority has moved quickly to fill this position on a temporary basis. Anne Marie Lubanski, who is the director of adult services and health will take over the head of paid service position for the immediate future. This will be the case while the council begins the recruitment process for an interim chief executive to replace Mr Reeves.
Ms Lubanski will fulfil all statutory duties as Head of Paid Service until further notice, working closely with the mayor, cabinet and commissioners and with the full support of the council’s Corporate Management Team. The council said she is a 'well-respected leader' within the organisation who has a 'wealth of experience' in local government after spending more than 35 years in the social care sector.
As it stands, the position of Finance Director is still vacant after deputy Chief Executive Mel Creighton stepped down following the energy bill disaster in May. A director of Neighbourhood is also in the process of being filled, while The ECHO understands that Claire Slinger, the assistant director for investment and development at the Cunard administration, is leaving her role.
Divide over seaside parking
The good weather will have seen many people flock to the Wirral to enjoy its array of beaches and suntraps. But even the scorching temperatures won’t have entirely lightened the mood among those who park up over night at New Brighton to enjoy the backdrop.
Since 8 July, Wirral council has introduced new parking charges for people staying in motorhomes and campervans on a stretch of Coastal Drive in New Brighton. The must pay £20 to park there overnight. The area, adjacent to the Dips and near Wallasey beach, is usually popular with motorhome owners who travel from across the country to stay there.
But the beauty spot has been left deserted since the parking charges came into force, which some have branded as a “rip off." Wirral Council said the charges are part of an experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO) that's in place for a period of 18 months, will be kept under regular review and can be amended if necessary.
READ MORE: 'Rip off' parking in seaside town leaves people divided
In focus
The view
“This dispute has been fermenting for years as bus drivers have seen their hard work taken for granted and rates of pay steadily eroded”
| Unite regional officer Dave Roberts |
Record breaking temperatures
Merseyside experienced its hottest day on record this week, raising fears over climate change and what other conditions the region could be subjected to in the years to come.
But more common issues have still been present in the hot weather. As of this morning, emergency services were still searching for a missing person in the waters around New Brighton and Wallasey. Fires broke out on grass lands near by due to the dry and balmy conditions. While the scene was brought under control, pictures of fires in areas across the country show the dangers of experiencing similar temperatures in the years to come.
READ MORE: Fires break out in and around Merseyside as temperatures soar during heatwave
ECHO Chamber
| There’s been a lot of talk about the 1976 heatwave in recent days, both for good reason and bad. But here’s how Merseysiders looked to cope with the heat almost 50 years ago. |
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