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Bus services will grind to a halt as union bosses reveal drivers based at two Kent depots are set to strike over pay.
More than 250 Unite members based at Stagecoach’s Herne Bay, Folkestone and Hastings depots - whose salaries vary between £11.10 and £11.67 per hour - have voted “overwhelmingly” to stage the walkouts over the next three weeks.
Services across Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Faversham and Sittingbourne could be affected by the action, with Stagecoach pledging to keep customers updated on its website and Twitter feed.
The bus firm also says it will work closely with Kent County Council in the event critical bus services, including school transport, are disrupted.
A spokesman for Unite says the bus operator has failed “to make a realistic pay offer” to drivers, after demanding the company gives its staff an increase in wages for 2021.
But bosses from the firm say there is “no reason why an agreement cannot be reached”, adding that “strike action is in nobody’s interests”.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Low pay is the scourge of the bus industry right across this country.
“Stagecoach made profits touching £60m last year and has £875m in the bank. Yet it cannot make a decent offer to its staff.
“Unite will be relentless in its campaign to ensure that our members at Stagecoach receive a fair pay increase.”
Unite says the strikes will take place on November 12, 15, 19, 22 and 26, before two more days of walkouts on December 3 and 6.
The decision came after members rejected Stagecoach’s latest round of offers, ranging from pay increases of 2.1% to 4.3%, following negotiations with union representatives.
A Stagecoach South East spokesman hopes the disruption can be avoided, with last-ditch talks planned for later this week.
“We have reached agreements with trade unions in the vast majority of other depots across the country and there is no reason why an agreement cannot be reached here,” he stated.
“We are committed to working constructively with our local union representatives to deliver pay proposals that are fair to our people, who we think a great deal of and who do a fantastic job for us.
"Stagecoach made profits touching £60m last year and has £875m in the bank. Yet it cannot make a decent offer to its staff..."
“But we need to ensure the long-term sustainability of the bus network at a time when passenger numbers are significantly below the level needed to cover the costs of running services.”
Unite had revealed in September that drivers based in Canterbury and Thanet could also strike over wages. But an agreement has not yet been made and pay talks between the union and depots this week.
"Strike action is in nobody’s interests,” the Stagecoach spokesman added.
“We have further talks with Unite planned for Wednesday for Folkestone and Herne Bay, while Hastings depot are voting on the current pay offer on Thursday.
“We are hopeful that an agreement can be reached to avoid strike action that would cause disruption for our customers and our employees."
The news comes as Stagecoach continues to be rocked by driver shortages, with services across Canterbury, Ashford and Folkestone cancelled today due to the long-running issue.
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