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 chauffeurs 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 parity with colleagues in Sheffield, the Unite union stated.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham stated the business might afford to pay its drivers in Doncaster the exact same amount and was "selecting to put profits over individuals".
Zoe Hands, handling director of First Bus in the region, stated the deal of a 7% increase backdated to January 2026 was "among the finest motorist pay offers this year".
"We are extremely dissatisfied and saddened at the decision to go ahead with strikes," she stated, adding that the business "identified the strength of sensation" on the issue.
"We remain dedicated to working constructively with Union representatives to reach a fair and sustainable contract," Hands stated.
"Our door stays open up to continue discussions and prevent unnecessary commercial action."
'Unfair circumstance'
The Unite members involved in the conflict work at the Doncaster Bus Depot on Leger Way, which runs numerous routes affecting the city centre.
The dates encounter the Easter holidays 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 need to not be financially punished for working a couple of miles down the roadway.
"This unfair situation can't continue and Unite is requiring First Bus treats its hard-working motorists fairly."
Unite said FirstGroup was "extremely lucrative", with profits of ₤ 833.6 m for the six months to September 2025, and might manage to meet the strikers' needs.
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