130 drivers reject two-year offer at publicly owned subsidiary of Lothian Buses

Unite has confirmed around 130 drivers employed by East Coast Buses are involved in an industrial action ballot after rejecting a two-year pay offer. 

The ballot will open today (10 July) and close on 24 July. If workers vote for industrial action then strike action could start in early August potentially impacting on the Edinburgh Festival and the Oasis concert (9 August) at Murrayfield. 

The East Coast Buses drivers provide services from the city of Edinburgh and the East Lothian coast and mainland.  

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s bus driver members play a vital frontline role in keeping Edinburgh and East Lothian moving. East Coast Buses need to make a decent offer and stop treating its workers with disdain.” 

East Coast Buses and Lothian County are both owned by the publicly run Lothian Buses. A separate pay deal has been successfully negotiated by Unite for Lothian County bus drivers which run services across west Edinburgh and West Lothian. 

Unite industrial officer, Mr Lyn Turner, said: “East Coast Buses can quickly resolve this pay dispute if they want to by increasing its offer which was rejected by our drivers. If they fail to then industrial action could hit major events including the Fringe Festival and Oasis concert at Murrayfield.”  

ENDS  

Notes to Editor  For media enquiries please contact Andrew Brady on 07810 157922 or andrew.brady@unitetheunion.org  Unite Scotland is the country’s biggest and most diverse trade union with around 150,000 members. The union is led in Scotland by Derek Thomson.