Stagecoach bus routes disrupted in west of Scotland driver strike

Stagecoach bus routes across the west of Scotland have been disrupted with drivers out on strike in a dispute over pay.

The 24-hour walk-out, affecting services in Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Glasgow, will be followed by two further strike days on 2 June and 6 June.

The Unite union said six weeks of further action are planned after talks with the bus operator failed to improve on a 4% pay offer for members.

Stagecoach apologised to customers and said several services had been suspended and timetables reduced.

It said it wanted a “fair and sustainable” pay deal for drivers that preserves the viability of bus services.

Unite said about 430 drivers operating out of depots in Ayr, Arran, Ardrossan, and Kilmarnock would be on strike.

Bus depots in Dumfries and Galloway are not involved in the action.

The union said their current pay offer was “unacceptable” as it left them among the poorest paid across Stagecoach’s UK operations.

Unite industrial officer Siobhan McCready, said: “The drivers are being asked to fund a pay rise by working longer hours, taking longer unpaid breaks and losing a week of annual leave.”

Strike action had previously been suspended for further talks after the company withdrew a threat of cancelling drivers’ annual leave entitlement.

Stagecoach thanks passengers for “patience and understanding” and urged them to check their services before setting out to travel.

It said in a statement: “Regrettably, the industrial action will disrupt our services and inconvenience our customers.

“We’re working hard to minimise the impact of this disruption, but unfortunately, the limited services we’re running will affect customers travelling in and around Ayrshire.”