Drivers of SEND transport strike over safety fears

Drivers who take children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to school are among a group of council workers taking strike action over safety concerns, a union has said.

Staff at Leeds City Council who also transport vulnerable people to medical appointments and community centres will walk out today and on other dates in January and February, union Unite said.

A spokesperson said there had been "numerous occasions where both staff and service users have been hurt" as a result of a lack of vital equipment.

Leeds City Council said it had been working hard to resolve concerns and said school transport would be prioritised during the strike.

A union spokesperson said workers lacked kit such as restraints, had inadequate first aid and no risk assessments - which they claimed had led to assaults on staff by passengers and incidents involving passengers harming one another.

They said it was "completely unacceptable" that funding cuts were putting staff at risk and affecting the lives of those who rely on the service.

Eighty staff members, including those who provide passenger assistance and office support, would be taking part in the strike, the union added.

Walk outs are due to take place on 9, 16, 23 and 24 and 29 and 30 January and 4 to 6, 11 to 13, 17 to 20 and 24 to 27 February.

The union said other issues included administrative errors, children missing school because of a lack of cover and low staff morale.

Unite regional officer Chris Muscroft said: "Strike action is a last resort for our members but these serious problems are not being addressed and they have no choice but to make their voices heard to protect themselves, their colleagues and those using the service."

A Leeds City Council spokesperson said the authority was working with Unite to try to find a resolution to the concerns raised by members.

They said: "The pressure on passenger transport is being experienced by many local authorities, however in Leeds there have been no cuts to frontline services and we have increased the number of staff working in the service.

"We take all concerns seriously and have undertaken a number of measures to address these."

However, they said it was unclear how transport services would be affected during the strike action.

"We are therefore encouraging people to make alternative arrangements where they can. We are engaging our service users and keeping people updated as best we can in the circumstances," the spokesperson added.

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