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 | | Tuesday, 26 March, 2002, 18:36 GMT Trams hit by drivers' strike  Tram drivers say their pay is below the average Croydon's tram service is being hit by its first ever strike with workers threatening a series of walk-outs over pay. Drivers belonging to the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) want the same pay as colleagues on London's buses and Tube. Tramlink says it cannot afford the wage hike and is offering arbitration to try to come to a deal. The Tramlink service links Croydon, Beckenham and Wimbledon in south west London. Trams are only running between East Croydon and Wimbledon, with replacement buses on other routes. Croydon tram drivers, who earn about �17,000 a year for a 40-hour week, voted overwhelmingly to strike. Pay offer The TGWU says the ballot result showed 87% in favour of striking in support of their pay claim. The claim is for a basic pay rate of �11.75 an hour and a reduction in the working week to 36 hours. The union also wants an extra five days holiday a year. Peter Kavanagh of the TGWU said: "The Croydon tram system is a great success and we want to work with the employer to ensure it continues to grow.
"However, with pay rates low relative to the Tube drivers, due recognition must be given to how we keep drivers once they are trained." The company is offering an 8.5% rise and says it would refer the dispute to independent binding arbitration. Michael Steward, Planning Director of Tram Operations Limited, said: "We haven't got any room for manoeuvre, we're already offering rather more than the labour market would expect. "We're offering 6% to tram drivers now, plus a shorter working week, and when you look at the inflation rates in the London labour market that's pretty good." Other strike days on the Tramlink include 9 April, 10 April, 16 April, 22 April and 24 April. Croydon's trams carried 18 million passengers in 2001, exceeding expectations when the service started two years ago. The trams have been credited with reducing car travel and boosting high street sales in the south London suburb. The �200m cost of Croydon's system received �75m of private money, making it a financial model which the Tube may follow. | | See also:  Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top England stories now:  Links to more England stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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