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ITV News
5 days ago
- Business
- ITV News
Bus services face 'severe disruption' as Stagecoach North East drivers vote to strike over pay
Bus services in the North East face "severe disruption" after Stagecoach workers voted to strike over pay. Action scheduled for Monday 18 August and Thursday 21 August was initially postponed as members of Unite the Union were consulted on an offer to increase pay by 5% over two years. It has since been rejected by 600 workers, meaning the strike will now go ahead. Unite say the offer does not offer workers the same level of pay as colleagues working in the North West. Unite regional officer Dave Telford said: 'There will be severe disruption to bus services across Newcastle and Tyne and Wear but this is entirely the fault of Stagecoach for failing to put forward an acceptable offer. "There is still time for industrial action to be avoided but that will require Stagecoach tabling a deal its workers can accept.' It will mainly affect services in Newcastle, where drivers and engineers have voted to strike. Engineers at the depots in South Shields and Sunderland have also opted for industrial action. Unite have added that strike action would intensify if the dispute was not resolved. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the latest offer "undervalued" Stagecoach workers. She added: "Stagecoach is a profitable company and can afford to improve the deal. The workers will receive Unite's full backing during these pay strikes.' Stagecoach have said there will be a reduced service in Newcastle over the two days with passengers urged to plan their journeys in advance. Steve Walker, managing director of Stagecoach North East, said: "We are disappointed that our latest offer increasing the drivers' pay by 5% over the course of the year has been rejected by drivers and engineers at our two Newcastle depots and by engineers at our Sunderland and South Shields depots. 'Our proposal was above inflation, and met the Unions aspiration that the final rate was 5% higher. Newcastle drivers are already the highest paid in the region compared to other large operators and have been awarded pay rises in previous years that were well above inflation. 'It is also worth reiterating that their current demands would see additional costs passed onto customers. Stagecoach buses are one of the most cost-effective, accessible and convenient ways to travel around the city, so this is something that we are absolutely keen to keep to a minimum. 'We remain committed to ensuring that drivers do receive an affordable pay increase. This strike action will cause unnecessary disruption across our Newcastle-based communities, and we urge the trade union members and Unite the Union to reconsider their position. 'We will do everything possible to minimise the impact of the planned industrial action, but there will be a reduced bus service across Newcastle on Monday 18 and Thursday 21 August. All other services in the North East and Tees Valley regions will continue to operate as normal. 'All service information will be available on the Stagecoach app.'
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stagecoach North East bus workers balloted on strikes
Bus services could face "delays and cancellations" if hundreds of workers back plans to strike, a union has 580 Unite members working at Stagecoach in Newcastle and Sunderland are being balloted on whether to strike after rejecting a 3.3% pay rise general secretary Sharon Graham said its members deserved better than "years of pitiful, below-inflation pay increases".Stagecoach said it was "disappointed by the threat of industrial actions" and it had made a "fair and responsible pay offer in line with the Consumer Prices Index". Two separate ballots are being held for two different groups of Stagecoach 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 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." Follow BBC Newcastle on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.
