City Bus Drivers Vote To Strike Over Pay
7 days ago
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Chloe AslettYorkshire
Bus services in Doncaster are because of be disrupted after more than 230 motorists voted to take commercial action over pay.
First in the city will go on strike on 28 and 30 March, and 7, 22 and 24 April after declining a deal which did not provide pay parity with associates in Sheffield, the Unite union stated.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the business could manage to pay its chauffeurs in Doncaster the exact same amount and was "selecting to put profits over individuals".
Zoe Hands, managing director of First Bus in the area, said the offer of a 7% rise backdated to January 2026 was "among the finest driver pay deals this year".
"We are extremely dissatisfied and saddened at the decision to go ahead with strikes," she said, adding that the business "acknowledged the strength of sensation" on the issue.
"We remain dedicated to working constructively with Union agents to reach a reasonable and sustainable arrangement," Hands stated.
"Our door stays open to continue discussions and prevent unneeded industrial action."
'Unfair circumstance'
The Unite members associated with the conflict work at the Doncaster Bus Depot on Leger Way, which operates numerous paths affecting the city centre.
The dates clash with the Easter holidays and occasions at Doncaster Racecourse consisting of the opener of the British flat racing season, the William Hill Lincoln Handicap.
Regional officer Christian Ratcliffe said: "Unite members in Doncaster must not be financially punished for working a few miles down the road.
"This unreasonable scenario can't continue and Unite is requiring First Bus treats its hard-working chauffeurs fairly."
Unite stated FirstGroup was "extremely successful", with profits of ₤ 833.6 m for the six months to September 2025, and might manage to fulfill the strikers' demands.
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