A month-long bus strike in the West of England has been cancelled after drivers accepted a proposed pay rise, Stagecoach West has said.
The operator said on Friday (March 4) it had received confirmation from trade union Unite that its members had accepted new pay deals it proposed last week.
Stagecoach West said the pay agreements cover 380 of its employees at depots in Bristol, Cheltenham, Coalway, Gloucester, Stroud, and Swindon.
Workers had been set to launch industrial action from March 10, with Unite warning it could affect those travelling to the Cheltenham Festival, with the race meeting due to start a few days later.
On Tuesday (March 8) Unite told BusinessLive that the planned strike had been called off after Stagecoach made "a vastly improved pay offer."
Rachel Geliamassi, managing director of Stagecoach West, said: “We're very pleased to have reached agreement with Unite on new pay deals for our employees across all of our depots in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
"We have been 100% committed to delivering pay increases for our people, on top of the increases we have given over the past two years during the difficult period of the pandemic. These packages recognise the valuable contribution our people make to our business and our local communities.
"We are pleased that our teams can now focus fully on delivering the important public transport links local people need and that services, including those scheduled for the Cheltenham Festival, can be delivered as planned."
#Update
We're very pleased to have reached an agreement with Unite on new pay deals for our employees. Our teams can now focus fully on delivering the services that people need, including those scheduled for @CheltenhamRaces pic.twitter.com/Mo8udDWhef— Stagecoach West (@Stagecoach_West)
Unite regional officer Shevaun Hunt added: “It is hoped that Unite and Stagecoach West can now work together to ensure that further progress is made in ensuring fair pay for all drivers employed by the company.”
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