WHEN: Sharon Graham will be available for interview at around 09:00 hours, Friday 7 October

WHERE: Stagecoach, Foster Street, Hull, HU8 8BT 

Stagecoach operating profits reach £72m in 2021/2 but workers offered ‘pay cut’ 

More than 250 Hull Stagecoach bus drivers, cleaners, engineers and commercial assistants are taking all out strike action from 7 October until 29 December. 

The workers are angry at a below inflation pay offer, a lack of pay parity compared to other areas and a one per cent increase in wages since 2019.

Stagecoach, whose revenues increased by nearly £300 million to £1.2 billion in 2021/22, is offering workers a one year 8.7 per cent pay deal or 14.5 per cent over two years. 

With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 12.3 per cent, the offers will result in workers seeing their already low wages further fail to keep up with rising prices. 

Hull Stagecoach drivers earn just £11.14 an hour, while their colleagues in Merseyside earn £14. 

Drivers in Hull are asking for an increase to £13 per hour, with other roles increasing in line with the same percentage.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite won’t accept companies telling their employees to swallow pay cuts while they rake in huge profits. Our members in Hull are fighting for their families. They’ve had their pay frozen for three years.

“Stagecoach’s current offer fails to give their workers a decent piece of the pie. This is an attack on our members’ pay and Unite will support our members every step of the way. 

“Stagecoach can afford to pay – it must put forward an offer our members can accept.” 

The picket line will start at the Foster St depot at 06:00 hours.

At 09:15 hours the workers will walk to Paragon Interchange (HU1 3QX) to picket the Stagecoach offices there. 

ENDS

For media enquires ONLY contact Unite communications officer Ryan Fletcher on 07849 090215.

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @unitetheunion Facebook: unitetheunion1 Instagram: unitetheunio

Web: unitetheunion.org

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.