Keith and Janet Gibson, Hull Socialist Party
On 7 October, Unite Stagecoach bus drivers in Hull went out on strike until 29 December, demanding £13 an hour.
As one worker explained, in the past 20 years pay has risen by a mere £4 an hour – an average pay rise of 20p an hour a year!
Unite leader Sharon Graham addressed the picket line at Foster Street bus depot, and was greeted with cheers. She explained how workers had created £72 million profit for the company last year, while profits of the new owner of Stagecoach, Deutsche Bank, are at £3 billion.
Stagecoach drivers in Hull are among the lowest paid in the country, earning £11.14 an hour. The company is deploying its workforce, including management, from other cities to drive buses through the picket line. Those from outside Hull are being put up at Hull’s luxury hotel. No expense spared there then! This will not break the strikers resolve.
After a week, Unite entered into negotiations via ACAS. The bosses offered a two-year staged pay deal to reach £13 an hour in 2023-4, but that was seen as an insult to this highly skilled workforce.
It is vital trade unions now fight for the demand for a £15-an-hour minimum wage, linked to inflation, as a base line for workers to enter pay negotiations. This would unite workers against company bosses who hope to isolate workers via city and regional pay deals.
And the unions should call for nationalisation of public transport with democratic control by workers and users.
- Please send solidarity messages to Kris Allen, Unite branch secretary, [email protected]
- Send emails to [email protected] asking the company to pay a decent wage.
- Tweet @stagecoachgroup: ‘Stingy Stagecoach stop picking workers’ pockets’
