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 chauffeurs voted to take commercial action over pay.


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


Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the business might afford to pay its motorists in Doncaster the same quantity and was "picking to put earnings over people".


Zoe Hands, managing director of First Bus in the region, stated the deal of a 7% rise backdated to January 2026 was "among the finest motorist pay deals this year".


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


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


"Our door stays open up to continue discussions and prevent unneeded industrial action."


'Unfair scenario'


The Unite members associated with the disagreement work at the Doncaster Bus Depot on Leger Way, which operates several routes impacting the city centre.


The dates encounter the Easter holidays and events at Doncaster Racecourse consisting of the opener of the British flat racing season, the William Hill Lincoln Handicap.


Regional officer Christian Ratcliffe stated: "Unite members in Doncaster need to not be economically punished for working a few miles down the road.


"This unfair circumstance can't continue and Unite is demanding First Bus treats its hard-working drivers fairly."


Unite stated FirstGroup was "highly successful", with earnings of ₤ 833.6 m for the 6 months to September 2025, and could pay for to satisfy the strikers' needs.


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