Hundreds of bus drivers in the West of England are to stage a month-long strike over pay, with a union warning it will hit those travelling to the Cheltenham Festival.
Members of Unite employed by Stagecoach West throughout Gloucestershire and Wiltshire will launch industrial action from March 10, a few days before the race meeting starts.
Unite said it is pressing for a pay rise in line with the current RPI inflation rate of 7.8%.
General secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite has given Stagecoach West every opportunity to make a fair pay offer to avoid strike action but it has failed to do so.
“Our members at Stagecoach West have made it very clear that they will accept nothing less than a significant pay rise and they have Unite’s full support in this fight.”
Unite said the strike action will affect Stagecoach West’s services operating from the Bristol, Cheltenham, Coalway, Gloucester, Stroud, and Swindon depots.
Regional officer Shevaun Hunt said: “Our members are taking strike action as a last resort because Stagecoach has refused to listen. Industrial action will inevitably cause severe disruption to passengers throughout Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and especially during the Cheltenham Festival.”
Unite said there is a growing shortage of bus drivers throughout the UK, with low pay identified as the main reason for workers leave the profession.
A Stagecoach West spokesperson said: “Around 40% of bus drivers in these areas are not members of Unite and have not voted for strike action.
“In recent negotiations, Unite has been demanding pay increases of up to 22%, which would put the viability of many community bus routes at risk at the very time they are already under strain.
“We are committed to giving our people affordable pay rises, on top of the increases we have given over the past two years during the difficult period of the pandemic.
“We are expecting to hold further talks with Unite in the week ahead and would urge them to work constructively with us to reach a solution that is in the collective best interests of everyone.”
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