Strikes by approximately 600 Stagecoach drivers and engineers in Newcastle planned for late August have been called off after workers voted to accept an improved pay offer.
According to a press release made available to The Giste, the agreement includes a 3.3% pay increase backdated to April 2025, and a further 1.7% raise beginning in September, easing tensions that had threatened chaotic disruption across the North East.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham praised the outcome. “By sticking together in their union, the workers at Stagecoach North East won a satisfactory pay deal from their employer,” she said.
“Unite’s top priority is to defend and improve our members’ jobs, pay and conditions.”
Strikes that had been suspended earlier in the week from 21 August, were officially called off following this offer, avoiding what could have been a major blow to the region’s transport system.
Impact on Commuters and Community Support
The looming strike prompted mounting frustration among passengers across Newcastle, with many forced to queue longer or find alternative transport.
Additionally, the Food & Solidarity group stepped in to support striking workers and their families during the stoppage, distributing essential parcels to those facing income loss. One member shared: “Two parcels a month help extremely. We’re happy and in unity!”
Stagecoach North East, operating 475 buses from six depots, including Sunderland and South Shields—serves communities across Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Cumbria, Northumberland, and North Yorkshire.
Similar disputes have unfolded across the UK in recent years, as Stagecoach workers repeatedly challenge pay and working conditions.
Notably, between 2021 and 2023, disputes in areas like Manchester, Hull, Swansea, and Sunderland ended with improved deals, often averting or ending strike action.
The resolution in Newcastle underscores the delicate balance between ensuring fair pay and maintaining essential public services.
As pupils and workers return to their routines, the settlement offers a temporary respite, but the broader conversation around bus worker pay and transport affordability continues.
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