Stagecoach North East bus workers balloted on strikes
Two separate ballots are being held for two different groups of Stagecoach workers.Nearly 500 workers in Slatyford and Walkergate, in Newcastle, are voting on taking industrial action and have until 15 July to cast their ballot.A further 80 engineers and cleaners at Busways Travel Services have until 24 July to vote in their own ballot. Busways staff work across Stagecoach's four depots in Slatyford, Walkergate, Sunderland and South Shields.
'Incredibly disruptive'
If both groups agree to strike, action could take place at the same time and start as soon as next month.Unite regional officer Dave Telford said: "Both strikes will be incredibly disruptive for passengers across the region, with delays and cancellations the norm during any industrial action."We appreciate this would be frustrating for passengers but this is completely the fault of Stagecoach. "We urge it to come back to the table and negotiate a better deal for our members to avoid any disruption."
A spokesperson for Stagecoach North East said its pay offer ensured its teams "continue to earn above-average pay compared to other operators in the region"."While we work hard to reward our people, we also have a responsibility to our customers to avoid passing on unreasonable cost increases," the spokesperson said."Our door remains open for constructive discussions with Unite to resolve this situation and avoid unnecessary disruption to local communities."
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