Metrolink workers will strike for four days, clashing with the weekend of Parklife Festival and Noel Gallagher's homecoming gig.

The industrial action threatens to bring tram services to a halt during one of Greater Manchester's biggest music events of the year.

Customer support, engineering and business support staff will walk out at 9pm Friday, June 7 until 5.59am on Monday, June 10.

The former Oasis star will play with his High Flying Birds on Friday June 7, the night before the two-day Parklife Festival begins.

Muse will also be playing at The Etihad on June 8, adding to the chaos.

Tram workers are locked in a pay dispute with employer Keolis Amey Metrolink Ltd.

Unite members voted by 96 per cent for strike action on Friday.

Union bosses acknowledged that the strike clashed with Parklife, and that the action could bring the tram network to a halt.

Metrolink said 'robust' measures were being put in place to minimise disruption for passengers.

(Image: Vincent Cole)

Unite regional officer Steve Davies said: “The company has adopted a ‘divide and rule’ policy in offering different pay rises to separate groups which we won’t tolerate – we are seeking a substantial pay rise for all our non-driver members.

“The company has also tied in any offer to a serious erosion of current employment conditions. The bosses are expecting a lot for their current offer including a worsening of unsocial hours working and new rosters impacting on our members’ work/life balance.

“We are calling out the network controllers across the 62 mile system and without them the whole network will grind to a halt very quickly.

“We appreciate that the strike action is taking place during the popular Parklife Festival and travel disruption is on cards for festival goers – that’s why we are calling for urgent talks with the management to reach a fair settlement before the bands start playing.”

Taking over Heaton Park for two days, Parklife sees 80,000 people descend for a weekend of revelry in the fields of north Manchester.

This year's headliners include George Ezra, The Streets and Solange, with local acts such as Blossoms also topping the bill.

Aline Frantzen, managing director at KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM), who operate Metrolink for TfGM, said: “We’re disappointed that Unite have notified us of their intention to take strike action during Parklife weekend and we’re sorry for the disruption that will cause to customers if they go ahead with a strike.

“KAM is doing all we can to put robust contingency plans in place for alternative transport and we will give clear information to customers as early as possible.

(Image: DAILY MIRROR)

“We have already held discussions with Unite, supported by ACAS, in an attempt to find a resolution and we remain committed to the success of these talks.”

Unite said Metrolink has offered between one and five per cent for the year starting January 2019 depending on which group a worker belongs.

Transport for Greater Manchester(TfGM) said the action had potential to disrupt one of the biggest events on Manchester's calendar.

TfGM’s Head of Metrolink, Danny Vaughan, said: “TfGM has been informed that as part of ongoing pay talks, members from three of KAM’s bargaining groups – business support, customer support and engineering – have voted in favour of industrial action over the Parklife weekend.

“This is clearly disappointing as it obviously has the potential to disrupt one of the biggest events of the year, but talks are continuing and we’d encourage Unite and KAM to continue these discussions with a view to finding a mutually acceptable solution.”