Last week more than 560 bus drivers for Stagecoach went on strike over a paying dispute with Stagecoach Yorkshire.
Members of the Unite Union, have been striking for the last week, however have extended this to end on the 12th December, a week later than initially planned, in Sheffield and South Yorkshire due to the refusal of settling for a 2% increase in wages proposed by the managing director, Phil Medlicott.
Last year, Stagecoaches financial summary was disclosed on their public website, showing their total revenue of 928 million pounds.
Although down last year by 489 pounds, their profits come as a result of their services both to the public and as a weekly school bus service.
However, it has been made clear that the school bus services will be exempt from the strikes in the final weeks of the Christmas term.
Mr Medlicott, stated he had left “no stone unturned” in their attempts to make a settlement regarding the public bus services strike.
It has been suggested that this issue is larger than an increase in pay, as workers understand the gravity of the national decline in bus drivers.
Unite unions general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “Low pay is the fundamental reason why workers are voting with their feet and leaving the bus sector.”
Another member of the union added: “The strike action is a last resort.”
The Union have apologised for the on-going disruptions in the run-up to Christmas, but are setting the foundations for a better working environment for themselves in future years.
Within the UK there are an estimated 4000 vacancies for bus drivers, along with a shortage of HGV drivers also.
Due to these shortages, there is an urgency for this to be resolved within Stagecoach.
