200 workers at Dundee's only bus operator 'emphatically' back strike action
Staff at Xplore are walking out over a pay dispute
Last updated 25th May 2023
Dundee's only bus operator is to be brought to a stop as staff at Xplore have emphatically backed strike action in a dispute over pay.
The bus workers based from the East Dock Street depot emphatically supported strike action by 93 per cent on an 88.6 per cent turnout.
Unite members involved in the ballot included drivers, duty managers, platform staff, and administrative staff.
The ballot result follows the workforce having overwhelmingly rejected a 7 per cent pay offer made by Xplore Dundee.
Unite said there has been no improvement on this offer, and that it will set out the schedule of industrial action to impact Xplore Dundee in the coming days.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Xplore Dundee workers have emphatically backed strike action.
"The company need to realise, and quickly, that our members are not prepared to accept what amounts to a pay cut.
"Xplore Dundee can pay more and they must because if they don’t the City’s only bus operator will be brought to a stop. Unite will always back our members in the fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.”
A spokesperson for Xplore Dundee said: "We have been notified by Unite regarding the intention to strike and this will be deeply disappointing for our customers who rely on our services on a daily basis.
"We have negotiated in good faith with Unite over many months to try and find a resolution on pay. The majority of those Unite are representing are Dundee based drivers, who are amongst the highest paid bus drivers in the UK outside of London.
“The 7% pay rise put forward was a fair offer that sought to balance increased wages for our staff with the need to keep the business from going into the red. We offered alternative options, including a lucrative two-year deal, but Unite were unwilling to compromise.
"It is regrettable that bus services in Dundee will be affected by Unite’s action whilst staff in other parts of the McGill’s Group around Scotland - including the maintenance department in Dundee - have agreed a deal that is up to or equal to what has been offered in Dundee. It would seem that this deal is unacceptable only with driving staff in Dundee.”