Stagecoach strike Sheffield: Bus drivers set to continue industrial action for another week

Drivers based at the city’s Sheffield depots, at Green Lane, Ecclesfield, and Rother Valley Way, Holbrook, have been on strike since Sunday, and now it has been confirmed the industrial action is set to continue.

Phil Medlicott, managing director for Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: “We can confirm that we have been notified of a further seven days of strike action by Unite union for Saturday, December 11 until Friday, December 17 affecting services in Barnsley, Rotherham, Dearne Valley and West Yorkshire and Sunday, December 12 until Saturday, December 18 affecting services in Sheffield.

“We know that our employees deserve a good pay rise and have offered employees an increase to the hourly pay rate of six per cent with a further three per cent in the next six months, a total offer of nine per cent on the current pay rate within six months. We feel that this is more than fair and that Unite union is now being unreasonable by not taking this offer back to members to vote upon. Strike action is in no-body's interests.

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“We remain open to continuing discussions with the union and would urge them to call off this unnecessary action which will cause untold inconvenience to local communities and will hit the pockets of our employees and their families.”

Driver and Unite union rep Nick Sanderson, who was among drivers on the picket lines at Holbook yesterday, said the striking drivers would prefer the strike was not as long as it could be, but it depended on whether the company got round the table and discussed the matter.

Unite regional officer Phil Bown last week: “Bus workers were rightly hailed as heroes during successive lockdowns. However, warm words do not pay the bills and Stagecoach needs to reward its workers' dedication with a decent pay award.”

Bus services run by First South Yorkshire will continue to run as normal.

Dedicated school buses and trams are still running as usual, says Stagecoach. Some stagecoach buses, that are based at Chesterfield depots, are also running,