Sheffield bus strike: Stagecoach drivers in South Yorkshire to start 'indefinite' strike in new year

Unite the union announced on Tuesday afternoon that members in South Yorkshire had agreed to a further walkout which is set to begin in the first week of the new year and to continue until the dispute is resolved.

Unite – North East, Yorkshire and Humber tweeted: “@StagecoachYrks management are dragging their heels.

“@unitetheunion members have no option but to escalate their action. Indefinite strike action will start on 1st / 2nd January 2022 across South Yorkshire affecting #Rotherham, #Barnsley, #Sheffield and #Doncaster.”

Stagecoach strike Sheffield: Are buses running this week? Second week of strike action begins

The union said that workers at its Barnsley and Rawmarsh depots would begin their latest walkout on New Year’s Day, Saturday, January 1, while those at the Holbrook and Ecclesfield depots, serving Sheffield, would stop working on Sunday, January 2.

The announcement was made with Stagecoach drivers in the middle of their second week-long strike, which in Sheffield began on Sunday, December 12 and is due to continue until this Saturday December 18.

Stagecoach staff had ruled out industrial action during the Christmas period itself, saying they didn’t want to disrupt families’ plans.

The operator had made a new pay offer last week in the hope of averting the latest strike, but Unite said members had rejected this in a ballot as the deal ‘fell well below their expectations’.

During the latest strike, most services are not running, with the exception of dedicated school buses and a handful of other routes running on a reduced timetable.

Stagecoach Supertram services and First bus services are unaffected.