Strikes will take place on five days over Christmas
Anyone planning on travelling by bus in Cambridge may have to rethink their plans as Stagecoach workers are planning to walk out during the festive season. Around 200 workers will be going on strike over a reduction in overtime rates, according to the UK’s leading union, Unite.
Workers have rejected a pay deal that would see their overtime rates fall by 12 percent between Monday and Friday, and by 20 percent over weekends and bank holidays.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Stagecoach is a profitable company and can absolutely afford to offer a pay deal that does not reduce overtimes rates. Stagecoach’s Cambridge workforce has Unite’s full support in taking strike action to achieve that.”
In the year to April 2024, Stagecoach made operating profits of £97.3 million on sales of £1.6 billion. Drivers and engineers will be on strike on December 17, 20, 22, 24 and 27. It’s expected that this will have a severe impact on bus travel within the city. Unite have also said that industrial action will escalate if the dispute is not resolved.
Unite regional officer Mark Plumb said: “Stagecoach is entirely responsible for the disruption that will be caused to passengers. It can fully afford to maintain overtime rates but is choosing not to. Industrial action can still be avoided but that will require an acceptable offer from the company.”
