Wigan bus services to continue as Stagecoach Manchester drivers walk out for four days

Stagecoach Manchester will be operating limited services between 7am and 7pm between Friday, August 11 and Monday, August 14 as staff are going on strike.

But services operating out of Stagecoach Manchester’s Middleton and Wigan depots are unaffected by this action.

The following Wigan services will operate as normal: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10A, 34 and 34A.

Managing director Lee Wasnidge said: “The strike will be damaging to everybody and cause severe disruption to our customers who depend on the bus to get to work, education and for appointments.

“The management team at Stagecoach have been working hard to agree an industry leading pay settlement. We have made a substantial offer which would see our drivers’ headline pay rates increase by 14.3 per cent and in addition, every driver would receive an immediate one-off payment of £750.

“Our offer would make Stagecoach drivers amongst the best-paid in the region with excellent terms and conditions. It is therefore incredibly disappointing that our above rate of inflation deal has been rejected.

“We are focused on finalising an agreement as quickly as possible to avoid any industrial action and remain fully committed to engaging in further discussions with Unite the union to enable us to reach a resolution as quickly as possible.”

Unite says more than 1,000 drivers will go on strike after workers rejected a renewed pay offer which would have been implemented from September rather than June, the agreed anniversary date for pay rises. Instead, a £750 one-off payment in lieu of full back pay was offered.

General secretary Sharon Graham said: “Stagecoach is making huge profits and can afford to improve this 'strings-attached' offer to one that is implemented from the correct anniversary date.

“Stagecoach has unnecessarily dragged out a dispute that could have been resolved months ago and is now trying to shift the goalposts. Our members at Stagecoach Manchester will receive their union's full backing as they strike for a fair pay rise.”

Stagecoach Manchester customers can stay updated on the latest service information by visiting stagecoachbus.com or on Twitter.