How did Andy Burnham end up with transport staff on strike just weeks before huge change?

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

In three weeks, Greater Manchester will undergo ‘the biggest change yet to our public transport’, according to mayor Andy Burnham.

But this week, transport staff and the have been locked in a bitter strike battle featuring picket lines, marches and social media spats.

The ‘big change’ comes on January 5, when Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) takes over half the region’s buses. Services will then become Bee Network-run, meaning every bus in Greater Manchester will be publicly-controlled for the first time since the 1980s.

But with three weeks to go before the big day, TfGM staff are not at their desks. They are on strike in a row over pay and parental leave. READ MORE: The future of Andy Burnham’s massive housing plan hangs in the balance after court challenge Previously, the mayor admitted he was ‘concerned’ about the strike, questioning the timing of industrial action: “We just ask colleagues now — this is a big moment for Greater Manchester, we’ve all been working at this for years — is this really the right time to do this?” So, with a red letter day looming and the two parties seemingly no closer to ending the dispute, the Manchester Evening News examines how the mayor ended up with staff on strike at a crucial time for his transport agenda.