Bus drivers at Stagecoach North West’s Kendal depot are among around 350 workers across Cumbria who will vote on whether to take industrial action in a dispute over pay.
The ballot follows members’ rejection of a pay offer from the company. Unite the Union says drivers in Cumbria are paid less than colleagues at other Stagecoach depots in the North West, despite facing the same cost-of-living pressures.
When the ballot will take place
The industrial-action ballot opens on September 15 and closes on September 29. Drivers involved work from Stagecoach depots in Barrow, Carlisle, Kendal and Workington.
If members vote in favour of action, Unite is expected to announce strike dates later this year. No strike dates have been announced at this stage.
Pay differences cited by Unite
Unite says Cumbria bus drivers are currently paid £15.20 an hour for all hours worked. The union says this is below rates available at other Stagecoach North West depots.
Drivers in Preston and Chorley are currently paid £17.10 an hour, rising to £17.80 in May 2027, according to Unite. Drivers in Lancaster and Morecambe are paid £16.25 an hour from Monday to Friday, with an additional £1 an hour on Saturdays and Sundays.
The union says the differences are unfair because drivers are carrying out the same job for the same company in nearby parts of the region.
What the union and Stagecoach say
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is wrong that drivers doing the same job and for the same company as their nearby counterparts are paid less. This cannot continue. Stagecoach is a profitable company and can more than afford a better pay deal for our members. Our members have our full support in their fight for a better pay deal.”
A Stagecoach Cumbria and Lancashire spokesman said the company remained committed to engaging constructively with Unite and was continuing discussions.
Stagecoach said it valued the contribution of its employees and was working towards a pay settlement that was affordable and sustainable, with the aim of protecting local bus networks for the future.
The company also said there were significant differences in pay, terms and conditions across different parts of its business. It argued that comparing hourly rates alone did not provide a complete picture of the overall salary package available to drivers in Cumbria.
The next formal step is the ballot of drivers, with the result determining whether the dispute moves towards potential strike action affecting the four Cumbria depots, including Kendal.