Stagecoach strike over as bus drivers accept pay deal
Hundreds of bus drivers in the west of Scotland have ended strike action after accepting a pay deal from Stagecoach.The Unite union said the new terms would be worth an 11.5% uplift on basic pay, ending a long-running dispute between unions and the bus operator that affected services in Ayrshire and Arran.The 430 workers began several weeks of consecutive strike action on 9 June, but halted the walkout on Wednesday after Stagecoach made the new offer. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the drivers had taken "a brave stance" by going on strike.
The pay deal amounts to an increase backdated to January, taking basic hourly pay from £13 per hour to £14 in June this year.From February 2026 the rate will be lifted to £14.50 until July 2026 when pay negotiations will take place again.The continuous strike action followed three one-day strikes in May and June, affecting services throughout Ayrshire and Arran. The dispute centred on the union seeking an improvement on a 4% pay rise offer tabled last November - a proposal Unite had described as "unacceptable".Stagecoach claimed an increased offer would risk the viability of services, while the union argued drivers in Ayrshire were among the worst paid in the company. Stagecoach operated a reduced timetable during the days of action.Ms Graham said the drivers "have stood firm to get an improved pay offer" and the dispute was about "decency and fair pay."Unite industrial officer Siobhan McCready said the deal represented "significant progress" for the workers.Stagecoach announced this week it was ending almost all of its bus services in Dumfries and Galloway - a region not affected by the recent strike - because they were "no longer commercially viable".
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The Independent
38 minutes ago
- The Independent
Stagecoach drivers end strike action after 11.5% pay uplift agreed
Stagecoach bus drivers have ended strike action after accepting a new pay deal. Walkouts by drivers in the west of Scotland have been ongoing since June 9 and were scheduled to last until July 21. The industrial dispute directly impacted Stagecoach West Scotland operations out of depots in Ayr, Arran, Ardrossan and Kilmarnock, servicing passengers across bus routes in Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Glasgow. But Unite the union said on Friday it had secured an 11.5% pay uplift for 430 drivers in an 18-month deal. The union said it amounts to an increase, backdated to January, which takes basic hourly pay from £13 per hour to £14 in June this year. From February 2026, the rate will be lifted to £14.50 until July next year when pay negotiations will be renewed. Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: 'Unite's members at Stagecoach West Scotland have stood firm to get an improved pay offer. 'The dispute has been resolved only through the brave stance of the drivers taking strike action. 'This dispute was all about decency and fair pay. Unite will always stand up for our members fighting for better jobs, pay and conditions.' Siobhan McCready, Unite industrial officer, said: 'The drivers were only asking to be paid at a rate similar to other Stagecoach drivers across the UK. 'The pay deal will take our members to a level that represents significant progress from where this dispute started. 'Strike action is now over and our members can get back to doing what they do best, which is to provide a first rate bus service for communities across the west of Scotland.' A spokesperson for Stagecoach said: 'We are pleased that our drivers have voted overwhelmingly to accept the pay deal. 'We want to thank our communities for their patience during the disruptive industrial action earlier this month and we now return our focus to ensuring we deliver our essential services to keep communities in Ayrshire connected.'
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Stagecoach strike over as bus drivers accept pay deal
Hundreds of bus drivers in the west of Scotland have ended strike action after accepting a pay deal from Unite union said the new terms would be worth an 11.5% uplift on basic pay, ending a long-running dispute between unions and the bus operator that affected services in Ayrshire and 430 workers began several weeks of consecutive strike action on 9 June, but halted the walkout on Wednesday after Stagecoach made the new offer. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the drivers had taken "a brave stance" by going on strike. The pay deal amounts to an increase backdated to January, taking basic hourly pay from £13 per hour to £14 in June this February 2026 the rate will be lifted to £14.50 until July 2026 when pay negotiations will take place continuous strike action followed three one-day strikes in May and June, affecting services throughout Ayrshire and Arran. The dispute centred on the union seeking an improvement on a 4% pay rise offer tabled last November - a proposal Unite had described as "unacceptable".Stagecoach claimed an increased offer would risk the viability of services, while the union argued drivers in Ayrshire were among the worst paid in the company. Stagecoach operated a reduced timetable during the days of Graham said the drivers "have stood firm to get an improved pay offer" and the dispute was about "decency and fair pay."Unite industrial officer Siobhan McCready said the deal represented "significant progress" for the announced this week it was ending almost all of its bus services in Dumfries and Galloway - a region not affected by the recent strike - because they were "no longer commercially viable".
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