'Great win for our members'

Planned strike action involving bus drivers employed by Stagecoach West due to begin this Thursday (March 10) has been called off after the workers accepted a greatly improved pay offer.

The resolution of the dispute means that the Stagecoach shuttle bus service which takes customers to the Cheltenham festival will not be disrupted.

The 380 drivers, who are members of Unite, have accepted a pay increase worth up to 12 per cent for 2021 and 2022.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “This is a great win for our members who, by standing together collectively, have ensured that Stagecoach made a vastly improved pay offer.

“This pay deal demonstrates how Unite’s strategy of always prioritising the jobs, pay and conditions of workers is paying dividends.”

The dispute was the first time ever that the drivers, who are based at the Bristol, Cheltenham, Coalway, Gloucester, Stroud, and Swindon depots, had ever voted for strike action.

Unite regional officer Shevaun Hunt added, “This pay deal could not have been achieved without the hard work of Unite’s reps and by our members being prepared to stand up and say they were no longer prepared to accept low pay.

“This deal is a first step in tackling pay issues at the company. It is hoped that Unite and Stagecoach West can now work together to ensure that further progress is made in ensuring fair pay for all drivers employed by the company.”

By Barckley Sumner