RMT union calls off Chesterfield bus driver strike after pay deal

The RMT has joined Unite in calling off the strike after a ballot of its members at Chesterfield’s Stonegravels depot.

Stagecoach today confirmed that agreement has been reached on a pay deal for drivers and cleaners represented by the two unions.

Phil Medlicott, managing director for Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: “We’re very proud of our team, who do a fantastic job in delivering vital transport connections for local people.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with RMT and Unite representatives that represents a good deal for our employees in Chesterfield, and at the same time will help to secure the long-term sustainability of the local bus network.

“We remain focused on delivering the best service possible to our customers at a time when there are challenges facing bus networks across the country as a result of the pandemic and other factors outside our control.”

Unite described the result as a ‘great victory’ brought about by ‘a vastly improved pay offer’.

However, dozens of Stagecoach bus services in the Chesterfield area remain cancelled because of staff shortages.

Services connecting Chesterfield with Brimington, Holme Hall, Clay Cross and other local destinations have been scrapped ‘for the foreseeable future’.

One Chesterfield driver, who asked not be named, told us last month that a job he used to enjoy has become ‘horrendous’ because drivers faced criticism and abuse from the public for the cancellations.