STAGECOACH bus drivers in Gloucestershire will begin voting next week on a call for strike action in a dispute over pay.

Bus passengers in the area face substantial disruption to their journeys from next month if the drivers vote for strike action.

The dispute involves around 360 bus drivers based at depots in Stroud, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bristol, Coalway and Ross-on-Wye.

The drivers are taking action over the rates of pay.

Unite union regional officer Shevaun Hunt said: “If strike action goes ahead it will inevitably cause disruption to bus passengers across the region. However this dispute is entirely of Stagecoach’s own making it can afford to make a fair pay offer but it has chosen not to.

“Unite is fully committed to further talks to resolve this dispute. It simply requires Stagecoach to return to the negotiating table with a pay offer which meets members’ expectations.”

The ballot opens on Tuesday 25 January and closes on Thursday 10 February. If the drivers vote in favour of industrial action strikes could begin before the end of February.

Stagecoach has today (Wednesday, January 19) criticised the Unite union for threatening industrial action after it rejected a pay increase for employees of up to 10%.

A Stagecoach spokeswoman said: "The company has offered various one and two-year pay deals of between around 5% and 10% covering employees at its five depots in Stroud, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bristol and Coalway.

"In recent discussions between Stagecoach West and Unite, the union has refused to demonstrate any flexibility around pay offers and instead has confirmed plans to press ahead with a ballot of its members, around 196 people, for industrial action.

"Stagecoach warned that the action would damage the livelihoods of local people and businesses, as well as setting back the recovery of bus services.

"In recent months, Stagecoach has employed a team of around 140 new drivers to improve the reliability of services which have been affected by the pandemic."

Rachel Geliamassi, managing director of Stagecoach West, added: “We really value our employees, who are doing a fantastic job under some challenging circumstances, and we agree that they deserve a good pay increase.

“Our people have previously benefitted from above inflation pay increases and we are continuing with that legacy. This year has been a greater challenge, but despite this, we have still put forward strong pay offers of between 5-10% to recognise the valuable role our people play in our communities, and that helps protect the long-term sustainability of the bus network.

“The very last thing that our customers and communities need is the threat of industrial action. We have recruited a large team of additional bus drivers to improve the reliability of our services. Any unnecessary disruption would set back the recovery of bus services and be a real kick in the teeth for local communities.

"We should be working together on a way forward that protects both jobs and services. Whilst we appreciate Unite remaining open for talks, it’s very challenging that they are unwilling to show any flexibility.

“We would urge Unite to put customers first instead of creating more uncertainty for people who rely on their bus services to get to work, access public and other services, and stay in touch with their friends and families."