Stagecoach bus drivers balloted for strike action in dispute over pay

Stagecoach bus drivers are being balloted for strike action in a pay dispute which could see services halted across the west of Scotland, a union has said.

Unite members have rejected a pay offer by Stagecoach West Scotland which the union said amounted to “a basic four per cent increase for one year”.

The organisation said the current offer would leave workers “one of the poorest paid” across Stagecoach’s UK operations.

Members indicated they would be prepared to take industrial action up to and including strike action to secure a better deal in a previous consultative ballot held by the union.

Stagecoach West Scotland services operate out of depots in Ayr, Arran, Ardrossan, Dumfries, Kilmarnock and Stranraer transporting passengers across routes in Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Glasgow.

The ballots opens on Monday and closes on April 17, with strike action likely to start in early May if a mandate for action is secured.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Stagecoach West Scotland is a profitable company making money on the back of our members’ hard work and long hours.

“The company can easily afford to put forward a fairer offer. If they don’t quickly change direction, then any strike action impacting bus services will be due to them putting profits before people.”

Unite industrial officer Siobhan McCready said: “Stagecoach West Scotland drivers deserve a fair rise that brings them in line with other parts of the business across the UK. The drivers are on one of the lowest rates of pay across the whole Stagecoach group.

“This is not an easy job, and the drivers deserve a pay rise reflecting the responsibilities and challenges of the role. If there is no movement on pay, then strike action will be inevitable and that will be on the heads of the company.”

A spokesperson for Stagecoach West Scotland said: “We can confirm that pay discussions are currently ongoing with Unite and therefore we believe it is inappropriate to comment further at this stage during the process.”