City Bus Drivers Vote To Strike Over Pay

7 days ago
ShareSave


Chloe AslettYorkshire


Bus services in Doncaster are because of be interrupted after more than 230 drivers voted to take action over pay.


First Bus drivers 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 provide them pay parity with coworkers in Sheffield, the Unite union stated.


Unite basic secretary Sharon Graham stated the company could manage to pay its drivers in Doncaster the same amount and was "picking to put profits over individuals".


Zoe Hands, managing director of First Bus in the area, stated the offer of a 7% rise backdated to January 2026 was "among the very best chauffeur pay deals this year".


"We are very disappointed and saddened at the decision to go ahead with strikes," she said, including that the company "identified the strength of feeling" on the concern.


"We remain dedicated to working constructively with Union agents to reach a reasonable and sustainable agreement," Hands said.


"Our door stays open up to continue conversations and avoid unneeded commercial action."


'Unfair circumstance'


The Unite members involved in the conflict work at the Doncaster Bus Depot on Leger Way, which operates numerous routes affecting the city centre.


The dates clash with the Easter holidays and events at Doncaster Racecourse consisting of the opener of the British flat racing season, the William Hill Lincoln Handicap.


Regional officer Christian Ratcliffe stated: "Unite members in Doncaster should not be economically punished for working a few miles down the road.


"This unjust situation can't continue and Unite is demanding First Bus treats its hard-working chauffeurs fairly."


Unite said FirstGroup was "highly successful", with profits of ₤ 833.6 m for the six months to September 2025, and could pay for to fulfill the strikers' needs.


Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, overtake the most recent episode of Look North