City Bus Drivers Vote To Strike Over Pay

7 days ago
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Chloe AslettYorkshire


Bus services in Doncaster are because of be interfered with after more than 230 drivers voted to take commercial action over pay.


First Bus motorists in the city will go on strike on 28 and 30 March, and 7, 22 and 24 April after declining a deal which did not provide pay parity with coworkers in Sheffield, the Unite union said.


Unite general secretary Sharon Graham stated the business could pay for to pay its motorists in Doncaster the exact same quantity and was "choosing to put revenues over individuals".


Zoe Hands, of First Bus in the region, stated the offer of a 7% rise backdated to January 2026 was "among the very best motorist pay offers this year".


"We are very disappointed and saddened at the decision to go on with strikes," she stated, adding that the company "identified the strength of sensation" on the concern.


"We stay dedicated to working constructively with Union agents to reach a fair and sustainable contract," Hands said.


"Our door remains available to continue discussions and avoid unnecessary commercial action."


'Unfair scenario'


The Unite members included in the dispute work at the Doncaster Bus Depot on Leger Way, which operates a number of routes impacting the city centre.


The dates clash with the Easter vacations and events at Doncaster Racecourse including the opener of the British flat racing season, the William Hill Lincoln Handicap.


Regional officer Christian Ratcliffe said: "Unite members in Doncaster must not be financially punished for working a couple of miles down the road.


"This unjust situation can't continue and Unite is requiring First Bus treats its hard-working motorists fairly."


Unite said FirstGroup was "highly rewarding", with profits of ₤ 833.6 m for the six months to September 2025, and might manage to satisfy the strikers' needs.


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