A PAY dispute involving Manchester road control staff is contributing to pre-Christmas traffic jams, Unison has warned.

Workers walked out today and plan to strike again next Friday.

Unison says that the staff, employed by Transport for Greater Manchester, were due a pay rise in April, but offered a below-inflation 3.2 per cent.

The union has accused TfGM of refusing to negotiate properly, bringing progress towards a solution to a standstill.

Unison regional organiser Kevin Dolan said: “The refusal to resolve this dispute is contributing to pre-Christmas traffic jams.

“It’s the season of goodwill so bosses should do the right thing and be less Scrooge-like.”

TfGM managing director Steve Warrener said: “We continue to meet with union colleagues and hope we can resolve pay negotiations soon.

“The majority of TfGM’s staff are still working and are focused on limiting the impact on passengers on strike days.

“We’ve made several proposals to the unions, accommodating their asks where we can.”

TfGM says that under its current offer, those on the lowest pay bands would receive a rise of between 6.7 per cent and 11.4 per cent to ensure no-one is paid less than £15.10.