Huge disruption to North East bus services as hundreds of workers strike over pay

Unite the union press release

For immediate distribution - 29 July 2025

Huge disruption to North East bus services as hundreds of workers strike over pay

Staff including drivers, cleaners and engineers at the Stagecoach North East group will walk out next month

There is set to be significant disruption to bus services across the North East during the summer holidays as nearly 600 Unite members at Busways Travel Services including drivers have voted to strike in August.

The dispute comes after workers at the firm were offered a below inflation pay rise of 3.3 per cent. The hourly pay for drivers in the North East - £15.01 per hour - is well below the pay of those doing the same job in the North West.

Busways Travel Services is part of the Stagecoach North East group. Stagecoach is a highly profitable firm, with figures from last year showing it recorded a total operating profit of £51.1m - up from £33.1m - and a profit before taxation of £47.6m.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Stagecoach is prioritising profits over people and our hardworking members deserve better.

"With so many workers set to take action, strikes will no doubt have a huge impact on bus services. However, this disruption is entirely the fault of Stagecoach and we will back our members every step of the way during this dispute."

Workers who have voted to take action include 500 members based at the Slatyford and Walkergate depots in Newcastle upon Tyne, including bus drivers. The majority of passenger bus services to and from Newcastle city centre operate from these depots meaning strikes will be extremely disruptive.

Meanwhile over 80 engineers and cleaners based at these depots as well as Sunderland and South Shields will take strike action at the same time, on Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 August as well as Monday 18 and Thursday 21 August. This action will impact commuters as well as families taking trips during the school summer holidays with bus services likely to be cancelled and severely delayed.

Unite regional officer Dave Telford said: "We appreciate that this will be frustrating for passengers across the region, but this is all down to the greed of Stagecoach.

"Our members do a very hard job, working long, unsociable hours and deserve a better pay offer. We urge Stagecoach to rethink and come back to Unite with an acceptable pay offer before it is too late."

ENDS