Strike victory for Hull Stagecoach workers

Strikes by more than 250 Stagecoach workers in Hull have ended after the workers accepted a two-year pay deal worth 20 per cent.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “This is a major victory for Hull’s Stagecoach workers, who, by standing together, achieved a substantial pay increase. It’s also a significant moment for the region because it shows that the low wages often suffered here do not have to be accepted. If workers organise in the union they can change things.

“We expect this will provoke others into taking industrial action. Unite will now be assisting union members in the area, whose wages are being kept artificially low by companies earning huge profits, to fight for a better deal.”

The Hull Stagecoach workers, who were on strike four weeks, received great support from the local community as part of Unite’s grassroots strategy, ‘Unite for a Workers’ Economy’. It is being rolled out across East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

Unite for a Workers’ Economy brings together workers and communities from across the political spectrum to demand higher wages, freedom from fuel and food poverty, and pensions that allow people to retire comfortably.

Unite regional coordinating officer Harriet Eisner added, “This victory is a prime example of what workers can achieve as part of a union. We believe it will inspire other workers in Hull and the surrounding areas who are sick of employers that make huge amounts but give too little in return to demand more.”

By Ryan Fletcher