Routes of solidarity

Unite bus drivers across the UK have been fighting for, and winning, decent pay rises as workers struggle to keep up with bills during the continuing cost of living crisis.

The government has said that buses are vital for the country, with Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander saying they aim to “improve and maintain bus services” and that buses are “keeping people connected, driving up living standards and growing the economy in line.”

However the money invested to protect thousands of miles of vital bus routes through the Bus Services Bill doesn’t seem to be making its way into the pay packets of the drivers who keep the services running and serving their communities.

But Unite members across the bus sector have been fighting for better pay, and winning in garages up and down the country.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Bus employers everywhere need to get the message loud and clear: Driver pay simply does not reflect the stresses and strains of the job. Fatigue, a lack of toilets, abuse and even assaults are a daily occurrence. 

“Unite will fight tooth and nail for bus workers until wages and conditions improve across the sector.”

WINNING BETTER PAY ACROSS THE UK

Manchester

Unite members at First Bus in Greater Manchester won an’exceptional’ pay deal and voted to accept a much-improved pay deal worth 20 per cent.

The two-year deal will see members who were on £15 per hour for all days worked go up to £16 immediately backdated to 1 April 2025. This rises again to £16.50 this month followed by further increments in Jan 2026 to £17 Monday to Friday, £18 Saturday and £19 Sunday.

They will then receive a further increase in April 2026, resulting in a 20 per cent pay rise on working weekdays within six months, and going a long way to addressing the fact that these workers were the lowest paid drivers in the region.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham praised “an exceptional pay deal, which was only won by workers standing firmly together in the face of their very profitable employer.

“It is proof once again that being a member of Unite pays for itself. We will always support every member in their fight for better pay – and we deliver.”

Disputes across Manchester with other firms continue and Unite regional officer Colin Hayden said: “We are very pleased to have had such an excellent win at First, which is thanks to the hard work of reps and members throughout the dispute.”

“Unite remains open to negotiations with the other firms involved in the dispute, but unless new offers acceptable to our members are brought to the table more disruptive strike action will go ahead.”

Merseyside and Lancashire

Also in the North East, strikes by around 500 bus drivers in Birkenhead, Chorley and Preston have been called off after the workers secured a huge pay victory.

Birkenhead drivers will see their pay increase by 10.2 per cent over two years – increasing from £14.94 an hour to £16.50. Preston and Chorley workers will receive a 6.4 per cent increase over one year, with wages increasing from £15.50 to £16.50.

Again strike action was called off after the workers voted in favour of accepting the deals.

Unite regional officer Mike Woods said: “Well done to our reps and members. Without their hard work and solidarity, this deal could not have been achieved. This result is another reminder that those who want better wages and working lives should join Unite and organise their colleagues to join too.”

Bristol

600 bus drivers at First West of England accepted a new pay deal, averting planned strikes.

They will receive an increase from £16 an hour to £16.50 backdated to 1 April. This goes up to £17 an hour backdated to 28 September then workers will have another rise to £17.40 an hour from 1 April 2025. This works out as an 8.6 per cent  pay increase over two years.

A major source of contention throughout the pay dispute was First West of England not committing to paying drivers backpay. To address this, workers at the City Line will get £250 non-consolidated backpay and their rest day working has gone up by 50p to £1.51 per hour.

Drivers at the City Line had previously walked out from 19 to 22 September, causing mass disruption to inner city services in Bristol.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Bus drivers do a difficult, important job for the general public and deserve to be paid appropriately.

“This is a fantastic win for workers at First West of England, who stuck firmly together throughout the industrial action to get the pay offer they deserved. It is yet more proof that there is power in a union.”

The bus drivers work for the Lawrence Hill and Hengrove Bus depots, which service Bristol city centre, Bristol Airport and Amazon’s Bristol warehouse and local schools and universities. 

Unite regional officer Amy Roberts said: “We are very pleased with the outcome of this industrial action, as it has led to a fantastic new deal for the bus drivers, who do a very hard job.

“In particular, the issue of backpay had been a problem and Unite is very happy to have resolved this for our members at First West of England.

“It shows that if you want improved pay, you should join Unite and ask your colleagues to join too.”

West Sussex

Strikes across Sussex that threatened “bus bedlam”, with over a thousand bus workers, furious with a derisory pay offer, planning to strike across Brighton, Hove, Crawley and Gatwick Airport. have been cancelled after workers voted to accept a new pay deal. 

Brighton Bus Company, which runs services both in Brighton and in Crawley, put forward a new and improved offer following the Unite members strike vote.

Workers will now receive an overall pay offer of 5.2 per cent.  Additionally, the Copthorne depot who were on a lower hourly rate and did not receive sick pay have accepted a 7 per cent pay rise including the backdated element with sick pay payable at 67 per cent of their rate of pay.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:“I’m delighted our members have received a pay rise that is nothing more than they deserve. They were prepared to take to the picket line and stood firm in their demands until they got an offer that was acceptable.”

Brighton Bus Company and Crawley Metrobus is owned by the Go Ahead group, based in Newcastle, which itself is owned by overseas transport conglomerates Kinetic and Globalvia. Both firms are hugely profitable and have worldwide transport operations.

Unite regional officer Janet Nobbs said: “Our members do an incredibly stressful job, driving at all times of day and night, in all weathers throughout the year. They keep Brighton and Crawley’s workers and students moving. This pay award is absolutely deserved in the face of a cost of living crisis and I’m really pleased to see our members win this dispute.”

South East England

Over 800 bus drivers, engineers, cleaners and shunters across the South-East of England are celebrating a pay victory from their employer Arriva.

Following the threat of strike action Unite members across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire have won a new pay award that will see their pay increase up to 5.8 per cent depending on their role.

The deal covers workers across Arriva the Shires and Arriva Kent Thameside across five depots in Luton, Milton Keynes, Stevenage, Ware and Hemel Hempstead.

Unite regional officer Jeff Hodge said: “Our members were prepared to take strike action in their fight for better pay and their determination has seen them win a new and improved pay deal. They should be congratulated for standing together against and getting a well-earned pay award.”

Cardiff

Meanwhile a series of strikes by 450 Unite members at Cardiff City Transport Services, or Cardiff Bus, across the Welsh capital have been called off after workers voted to accept improvements to pay and conditions.

The deal saw workers receive a 5.86 per cent backdated pay rise on all elements of pay including sick pay. There have also been further improvements to sick pay.

Unite Wales regional officer Alan McCarthy said: “Our members at Cardiff Bus have shown that workers must be prepared to act in order to achieve better pay and conditions, particularly in the bus sector.

“Unite members stood firm in their fight for fair pay, but also to ensure no colleague was left with inferior working conditions, this is true trade union values in action.

“It’s disappointing that we had to come so close to strike action in order to achieve these very reasonable goals, but as we approach franchising it stands as a stark reminder of the need to standardise pay and conditions across the sector.”

Newcastle

Bus workers are also winning in Newcastle after proposed strikes by workers with 600 Stagecoach North East across the city, including drivers and engineers, were called off in August after workers voted to accept an improved pay offer.

The deal saw a back dated pay increase from April 2025, and a further increase from this September.

Unite regional officer Dave Telford said: “As this deal shows, workers seeking better pay and working conditions should join Unite and rally their co-workers to do the same.”

ONGOING DISPUTES

While many disputes have been settled across the country, not all bus companies have seen the sense in paying drivers a fair wage for the difficult job they do, and a number of disputes are still ongoing, with many Unite members still fighting for the fair pay and improved conditions they deserve.

Manchester

One dispute may have been resolved in Manchester, but there is still disagreement with Metroline 1000 hard working members at the Sharston, Hyde Road, Ashton and Wythenshawe depots recently took strike action.

Unite regional officer Colin Hayden said: “Unite remains open to negotiations with the other firms involved in the dispute, but unless new offers acceptable to our members are brought to the table more disruptive strike action will go ahead.”

London

Over 350 drivers, engineers and storemen working with London Transit in West London walked out over below inflation offer in September. 

Despite strikes by London Transits sister company, London United, ending after an agreement was reached with that workforce, the dispute rumble on in West London and more strikes may be called at some point. 

Unite regional officer Callum Rochford said: “Our members do an incredibly difficult job – whether it’s driving buses in rush hour in London or keeping those buses operational. Yet their employer is trying to force an effective pay cut in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.

 “Workers won’t stand for this. London Transit need to come back to the table, pay what’s right and end this dispute now.”

TOILET DIGNITY FOR DRIVERS

However, despite the need for improved pay to tackle the ongoing cost of living crisis, issues for drivers are not all about how much they take home at the end of the month.

In a shocking case that highlights the appalling conditions some bus companies expect their employees to work in, Stagecoach sent a message to drivers in Manchester telling them that if they need to relieve themselves in a bottle to make sure they take it away with them.

The attitude of the company was insulting, and was strongly criticised by Unite. It also highlighted the fact that Stagecoach was not providing adequate toilet facilities for staff.

The general secretary said: “Stagecoach is one of the biggest bus operators in the country and there is no excuse for sending an insulting message like this to staff.

“While bus firms such as Stagecoach turn over huge profits, their workers don’t only have to contend with low pay and a lack of toilets, they have to contend with their employer blaming them for a situation not of their own making and treating them with contempt.

“This is intolerable and Unite will not stand by and allow our members to be insulted. We have long campaigned for workers to have proper access to toilets – any employer who does not do this, will be exposed.”

Unite has long been campaigning for toilet dignity at work, as thousands of workers working in many sectors do not have easy access to a bathroom. This is despite the fact the law states employers must provide ‘adequate’ toilet facilities for everyone in the workplace.

Stagecoach has since apologised after the issue was raised by Unite in the media, but that an employer ever thought it was acceptable to send such a message to workers in the first place shows their attitude towards staff.

Buses and their drivers are vital to communities across the UK, and Unite will always fight to ensure its members are fairly paid, and feel safe and respected doing their job in keeping the country moving. 

By Keith Hatch